Don’t Miss the Miracle Because It Seems Too Simple

Naaman’s healing teaches that simple obedience can lead to real miracles.

Scripture:
“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?”
—2 Kings 5:13

Devotional Thought:
Naaman was powerful, respected, successful, and honorable. But the scriptures add one important phrase:

“But he was a leper.”

Naaman had a problem his strength could not fix. His title could not heal him. His reputation could not cleanse him. His success could not make him whole.

Through the faith of a young Israelite girl, Naaman learned there was a prophet in Israel who could help him. So he went to Elisha, probably expecting something dramatic. Maybe he expected the prophet to come out, call on God, wave his hand over the leprosy, and heal him in an obvious, impressive way.

Instead, Elisha sent a simple message: wash seven times in the Jordan River.

Naaman was offended. The answer seemed too ordinary. Too small. Too simple.

But his servants helped him see the truth: if he would have done something great to receive the miracle, why not do something simple?

That question matters for us too.

Sometimes the Lord’s counsel seems simple: pray, read the scriptures, repent, forgive, keep the Sabbath day holy, pay tithing, attend the temple, listen to prophets, and stay on the covenant path. A teenager might wonder, “How is that really going to help with what I’m facing?”

Naaman may have wondered the same thing.

But the miracle did not come because the Jordan River was special. The miracle came because Naaman humbled himself and obeyed the word of the prophet.

And he had to keep going even when nothing seemed to change. He was not healed after the first washing. Or the second. Or the third. The healing came after the seventh.

Sometimes faith means continuing to obey before we see the blessing.

Quote:
Elder Dale G. Renlund taught:

“When we trust God’s prophet on the earth today and act on his counsel, we will find happiness, and we too can be healed.”

Reflection:
What simple counsel from the Lord or His prophets have I been tempted to dismiss?

Today’s Challenge:
Choose one simple act of obedience to live more intentionally today. Pray sincerely, read the Book of Mormon, repent quickly, serve someone, listen to a conference talk, or do something you know the Lord has been inviting you to do.

For the full Come Follow Me for Teens lesson on 2 Kings 2–7, including teaching ideas, questions, and application activities, visit joshdowns.com/cfm-resources.