Written by Ashlee Price
Little Maid was just wiping down the last plate from the pile of dishes when her mistress and master walked through the front door. They’ve been out so often lately, Little Maid thought, I wonder where they’ve been.
Little Maid was a captive slave girl from Israel. The Syrians had come and taken her away from her family and her home and now she was serving Naaman, the captain of the Syrian army, and his wife in their house. Recently, the pair had been making long trips, but Little Maid couldn’t work out where they went. She could sense something was wrong and she was concerned for her mistress and master.
Little Maid was helping Lady Naaman hang out the washing late one afternoon. As Little Maid was sticking a peg onto a robe, she gathered her courage and asked Lady Naaman a question. ‘Excuse me Mistress, if you don’t mind me asking, where have you and Captain Naaman been going when you leave the house?’
Lady Naaman put a peg on Captain Naaman’s coat and sighed sadly. ‘Well, Captain Naaman is very sick. He has leprosy, and we’ve been going back and forth to so many different doctors’ appointments. But none of the doctors that we’ve gone to see have been able to make him well.’ Lady Naaman sighed again. ‘I guess we’ll just keep on looking until we find someone that can make him better.’
Little Maid felt so sorry for Captain Naaman. He had been a kind master to her and had always treated her well. She didn’t want him to be sick. I know! She thought excitedly, I’ll ask Lady Naaman if Captain Naaman would go and see the prophet from my hometown in Israel. I know that God was with the prophet Elisha and he could make him well.
‘When I lived in Israel,’ Little Maid began thoughtfully as she pegged another peg onto the line, ‘there was a prophet in Samaria named Elisha who could heal people when they were sick because my God was with him.’
Lady Naaman’s sad, green eyes suddenly brightened. ‘Thank you, dear girl. It is worth trying a visit to this prophet. I will let my husband know.’
Captain Naaman soon heard about what Little Maid had said. He agreed with her idea and soon he and his men got into their horse’s chariots and travelled straight to Elisha’s house in the far away land of Samaria.
Upon arrival, Elisha’s servant opened the door with a message from the prophet Elisha. ‘The Captain is to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times and then he will be made well again.’ When he heard this instruction, Captain Naaman was outraged. Why should I have to wash in the dirty Jordan River? He thought angrily. The rivers of Damascus are far cleaner than all the waters in Israel. Why can’t I wash in them to be healed?
He began to walk away in frustration, but his loyal servants stopped him. ‘Sir, if the prophet had asked you to do something hard, you were prepared to do it. So why can’t you wash in the Jordan River, when it is so easy to do?’
Captain Naaman thought about what his servants had said, and ignoring his wounded pride, he realised they were right. He would do what the Lord had asked him to do, and he would do it willingly. He had nothing to lose, so why not try?
Captain Naaman got back into his horse’s chariot and rode over to the Jordan River with his men following closely behind him. He stepped out of the chariot and walked over to the edge of the river. The water looked murky and unpleasant, but he ignored his prejudice and waded through the water to where it was deeper. He held his breath and dipped under the surface of the water. He came up out of the water and looked at his arms. The leprosy spots were still there. He went under the water again and again, but after each time, he could still see the leprosy.
He dipped under the water six times altogether, then held his breath and went under the water for the seventh time. When he surfaced, he blinked the water out of his eyes and looked again at his skin. It was all clear! There were no more spots!
Captain Naaman beamed and shouting with joy he said, ‘I am well! The Lord has made me well.’ He heard his men cheering for him from the bank of the river, and Captain Naaman waded over to join them. Climbing out of the water, he got back into the chariot and his horse galloped faster than ever towards Elisha’s house.
Elisha was at the door with a huge smile on his face and Captain Naaman said, through tears of joy, ‘Now I know that there is only one God in all of the world, the God of Heaven, and He has made me well.’
If it hadn’t been for Little Maid telling Lady and Captain Naaman about the God of Heaven, Captain Naaman would never have been healed. If we are willing, God can use us too, to tell others about His great love for them. Ask Jesus to help you speak to others about what He does for you in your life. You just never know when your witness for God will help to make someone else happy. It doesn’t matter if you are small: God used Little Maid, and He can use you too!
Picture Credit: Free Bible Images
