SCRIPTURE:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2 NIV)

DEVOTIONAL:

(Naaman, a Syrian army leader who had leprosy, receives hope from an unexpected source.) “And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:2–3).

So, Naaman, being a great leader, headed out to see the king of Israel, bringing with him many riches as a gift. The king sent him to Elisha (see verse 9). (But, Elisha sends out his servant with the instruction to dip seven times in the Jordan River. Expecting the prophet to come out personally and cure him, Naaman became very angry and starts to ride away.) 

Now what caused that reaction? Pride. What happened then? His little servant was running alongside him and said, “Master, wait a minute. If the prophet would’ve told you to do something great, wouldn’t you have done that?” Naaman thought about it and said, “Well, yeah, I think I would.” 

Naaman wisely set aside his pride and obeyed the instructions given him by Elisha’s servant: “Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14).

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, search my heart. Is there any pride that is keeping me from my blessing? I release pride or anything in my heart that displeases You, and I expect to receive my miracle. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

This devotional is excerpted from Dr. Bill Winston’s faith-inspiring book, Redeemed from Sickness. To order this must-read book, click here.

Listen to this devotional here.