TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 7:1-25
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TODAY IN THE WORD
A certain type of vandalism--painting buildings, trains and other objects with graffiti--has become an international sport for some people. These graffiti ""artists"" fly to various cities around the world, intending to leave their mark so they can brag about their dubious achievements. Last summer, when four young Germans were arrested in New York City, police found hundreds of spray paint cans in their bags. One of the men freely admitted that they had come to New York to paint ""a wall, a train, or anything.""

What these jet-setting vandals do to deface property is similar to what Satan tries to do to believers. He is an unwelcome visitor, looking for opportunities to deface our lives and testimonies with the ""graffiti"" of sin. As we learned yesterday, our enemy has an ally within us, the sinful nature that we carry as our heritage from Adam.

But that hardly makes us pawns of the world, the flesh, and the devil (1 John 2:16). Paul ends Romans 7 on a note of victory, expressed in today's verse. And John declares: ""Everyone born of God overcomes the world"" (1 John 5:4).

We are on our way to the eternal victory of heaven. But there are some struggles to deal with along the way. In Romans 6 Paul outlines our identification with our new Master, Jesus Christ. In chapter 7, he shows the impossibility of achieving the righteousness God requires by trying to keep the law's requirements.

As believers, we are set free from the law the way a woman is free from the ""law of marriage"" if her husband dies (Rom. 7:2). Our problem with trying to meet God's standards is that our sinful nature will always be in rebellion against God.

It's not that God's demands are evil. Far from it, Paul says (v. 7). The flaw lies within us. All God's law does is arouse us to an awareness of how sinful we are and how far short we come of His requirements.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In coming days we're going to see that God has given us many weapons with which to fight and win in spiritual warfare.

But along with using the weapons He has provided, we need to make sure we are not giving aid and comfort to the enemy! This is a good time for you to look around your home or apartment to see if you are allowing any of the enemy's propaganda to get to you or your family.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 12:1-2
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Genesis chapter 22 tells a familiar story. In this gripping account, God asked Abraham to present his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. In obedience, the two of them set out, carrying items needed for making an offering to the Lord. When they arrived at the designated spot and Abraham began preparations, Isaac asked, ""Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"" Abraham's answer: God will provide (Gen. 22:7-8).

Abraham bound Isaac and laid him on top of the wood on the altar. Just as he was about to slay his son with a knife, the Lord intervened and provided a ram for the burnt offering. God honored Abraham's willingness to sacrifice that which was most valuable to him, his son. In faith, Abraham put his all on the altar (Heb. 11:17-19).

Similarly, Romans 12:1-2 tells us to present ourselves as living sacrifices to God. We can hold nothing back. His mercies demand total faith and surrender on our part.

Perhaps the most important word in this text is the first one: ""Therefore."" This word indicates that because of all that God has done for us in Christ, offering ourselves to Him is only reasonable. It's also a great defense against the devil's wiles. A body presented to God is off limits to the enemy (see Rom. 6:11-14).

A renewed mind is another strong defense against our spiritual enemy. The difference between conforming to the world's pattern and being transformed by God is the difference between darkness and light, between death and life.

Notice how Paul pictures the unbelieving world--and by extension, its ruling prince, the devil. The world's system is constantly hammering away at us, trying to bend and shape us until we are doing other than God's will.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We usually think of God's will in terms of a decision or a choice we need to make sometime in the future.

But in the Scriptures, the emphasis is on the will of God that is clearly revealed in its pages. This is important because it's in the context of obedience to His revealed will that God helps us with the specific decisions we need to make.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Earlier this month we mentioned G.K. Chesterton, the great British writer and defender of the faith. In 1908, Chesterton wrote that Christian truth is a ""thrilling romance."" He went on to say: ""People have fallen into a foolish habit of speaking of orthodoxy as something heavy, humdrum, and safe. There was never anything so perilous and so exciting as orthodoxy.""

The apostle Paul would no doubt have said ""Amen!"" to Chesterton's sentiments. Paul was consumed by love for the truth of God. He gave his life to proclaiming and defending it, and in today's text he commends truth as a potent weapon against Satan's deception. We can't improve on that!

Any military commander can tell you about the difficulty of conducting a war when you're not getting accurate information. That's why armies work as hard on confusing and deceiving their enemies as they do on defeating them in battle.

Satan is in his element when it comes to deception. We know that Jesus called him the ""father of lies"" (John 8:44). He is the ""god of this age"" (2 Cor. 4:4), blinding anyone he can to the truth, spreading his lies.

The primary targets of Satan's deception are unbelievers. But Jesus also warns us that in the end times, Satan's false prophets and false Christs will seek to deceive even the people of God (Matt. 24:24).

If deception is one of Satan's chief weapons in spiritual warfare, the best way to counter his efforts is by living in the light of the knowledge of God revealed in Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). The great thing about the truth is that when we live by it, we have nothing to hide or fear. Paul renounced ""secret and shameful ways"" (v. 2) because they are incompatible with the truth.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jesus tells us in today's verse that His truth has a sanctifying effect on us.

Sanctification is our growth in the faith, the goal being spiritual maturity and Christlikeness. But true spiritual growth demands that we submit every part of our lives to the searching light of the Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
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TODAY IN THE WORD
George Washington once said: ""Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.""

This insight from our nation's first President is a mirror image of today's verse (1 Cor. 15:33; cf. Prov. 22:24-25). If we associate ourselves with ""bad company,"" our lives will reflect the negative influence they have on us. The opposite is also true: godly friends can have a positive influence on our character and actions.

In friendships as in other areas of life, our enemy's goal in spiritual warfare is to outwit us as believers (2 Cor. 2:11). In all our relationships, we need to be on guard against his schemes.

If we fail to be alert or discerning about people, we will be drawn into the wrong kind of relationships, with the destructive or sinful effects described in today's verse.

For example, we usually think of being ""unequally yoked"" (2 Cor. 6:14) as applying to marriage to unbelievers, and it certainly can have that meaning. But as many Bible teachers have pointed out, this principle also applies to any relationship that brings believers and unbelievers into close proximity and sharing of life or resources.

For example, what's so bad about a business partnership between a Christian and a non-Christian? According to Paul, it mixes two worlds that have nothing in common. It attempts to merge two ways of life, two allegiances, that are diametrically opposed to each other. The Bible says flatly, ""Friendship with the world is hatred toward God"" (James 4:4).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sometimes it's hard for us to evaluate our friendships and our interaction with those who don't know Christ.

How can we know when it may be time to pull the plug on a relationship with an unbeliever? If sin of some sort is being committed, Paul answers the question for us: ""Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit"" (2 Cor. 7:1).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 4:6-9
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TODAY IN THE WORD
The great reformer John Calvin was just 27 years old when he published his monumental work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Published in Switzerland in 1536, today it is known as ""one of the 10 books that shook the world."" Calvin was a world-class scholar whose Institutes helped to further the Protestant Reformation. The world has never been the same since John Calvin set his mind on the things of God!

We may not change the world by setting our minds on the things of God, but we can change our lives. In the daily battle known as spiritual warfare, a mind focused on Christ is another proven defense against the attacks of the enemy.

Paul knew all about the power of God-centered thinking. Few would argue that the apostle had the greatest mind the church has ever produced. He knew that Satan loves to attack our thinking processes, getting us mentally and spiritually off balance.

James reminds us that the demons believe in God (James 2:19). There are no agnostics in Satan's ranks! He is not above twisting the truth to confuse us. In fact, Scripture-twisting is one of his favorite tactics.

By what he wrote in today's text, we know how much Paul valued a God-centered mind. You can't set your mind on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable when you are anxious and troubled, so Paul prescribes prayer as the antidote (Phil. 4:6).

When we pray, we find new help in spiritual warfare. The ""peace of God...will guard your hearts and your minds"" (v. 7). The Greek word for ""guard"" is a military term, meaning ""to do garrison duty."" God's peace will watch over your mind.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The qualities in Philippians 4:8 that should characterize our thinking are worth reflecting on today.

Here's a suggested exercise to help you do so. List the six qualities on the left side of a piece of paper. On the opposite side, try to list what occupies your mind during an average week: reading material, TV, radio, work, hobbies, and family time. You should come up with quite a list!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
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TODAY IN THE WORD
The story of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's conversion to Christ in a Siberian prison camp is a remarkable testimony to the truth of today's text. Solzhenitsyn was being examined one day by a fellow prisoner, a Jewish physician who had been won to Christ by the example of another prisoner. Noticing the misery in Solzhenitsyn's eyes, the doctor told him his story, including his faith in Christ. Solzhenitsyn came to faith through the doctor's testimony and survived to tell the world about the power of the spirit over human evil.

What an incredible example of waging war by the weapons of the Holy Spirit! When His people call on Him, no prison or army can lock out the Word and the power of God. Aside from the description of our spiritual armor in Ephesians 6 (which we will study beginning tomorrow), today's passage may be the most critically important on this month's topic.

We don't have to guess about the context because Paul sets the stage for us. He is talking about waging war, using weapons, and demolishing enemy strongholds.

The King James Version helps us here, because ""flesh"" is a better rendering than ""world"" in verses 3-4. Paul is saying that although we live in human bodies, we don't wage war according to human standards. Our weapons are those of the Spirit, so they have His power behind them. These are the only weapons great enough to bring down ""strongholds.""

What is a stronghold? Moody Press author Jim Logan, in his book Reclaiming Surrendered Ground, explains that strongholds are the fortresses Satan builds in our lives when we give him a foothold, a piece of ground on which to build.

How does Satan gain a foothold in our hearts and minds? We give him ground when we sin and refuse to forsake our sin or when we believe his lies. Satan is a master builder. He doesn't need much ground on which to erect his strongholds. And once they are in place, they give the enemy a ""headquarters"" from which to carry on his activities.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The principles found in these few verses are so important that we could spend all week exploring their implications.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 6:10-12
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Armor in its various forms was a major component of military strategy and warfare for many centuries. Animal skins and metals such as bronze and steel protected warriors from the earliest days of recorded history. But according to one source, the invention of firearms made armor obsolete. Armor that was strong enough to protect the wearer against gunfire was so heavy that it became impractical.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are facing some pretty heavy firepower, the ""fiery darts"" of Satan (Eph. 6:16, KJV). We can be grateful that the armor God gives us with which to combat and defeat Satan will never weigh us down while giving us divine protection!

Today we begin a three-day study of the classic biblical text on spiritual warfare. Paul's exhortation to put on the full armor of God suggests that we do in fact have a battle to fight and that we have supernatural resources with which to do it.

Notice that our strength and power for warfare are found in the Lord (v. 10). We're not guerrilla warriors on our own out in the jungle, fighting and surviving by our wits. And this is a good thing, because none of us can match wits with the devil and expect to win.

Even though we may not fight as guerrillas, the devil's schemes often resemble guerrilla tactics such as hit-and-run movements and sneak attacks. Satan seldom hits believers with blatant, frontal attacks. These are so obvious that we can sometimes defend ourselves against them.

Whatever strategy the enemy may use, our battle with the spiritual forces of evil is very real. One of the objections often raised against studying a topic such as spiritual warfare is that it amounts to little more than ""looking for a demon behind every bush.""
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today is Memorial Day, a time when we honor those who have worn the ""armor"" of our nation's military and have died defending our freedoms.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 6:13-15
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TODAY IN THE WORD
We observed yesterday that as weapons became increasingly destructive, armor gradually disappeared from the world's battlefields. While that's true, we want to add that we still have some of armor's modern cousins with us today. A police officer's bullet-proof vest is one example, as are the helmets and pads worn by athletes in sports, including football and ice hockey.

The purpose of protection that gave rise to armor has been adapted to the needs of various ""warriors"" today. Our spiritual armor is perfectly suited to us, too. There isn't one unnecessary piece or an ounce of coverage we don't need. That's because the designer of our armor is the Lord Himself.

In verse 13 Paul repeats our primary responsibility in warfare: to ""put on the full armor of God"" (see v. 11). Wearing the armor our almighty God has designed, we are called to take our stand. His armor is meant to protect us in active battle, not to prop us up.

Today's text covers a good portion of the Christian's armor. The ""belt of truth"" pictures the belt that held all the pieces of a Roman soldier's armor together. Last Saturday we learned about the power that God's truth has to defend and protect us. Since lies are Satan's weapon of choice, the truth of God's Word is indispensable in our spiritual warfare.

The breastplate protected a soldier's heart. Because we are covered in the righteousness of Christ, no ""flaming arrow"" of the enemy can attack our relationship with Him. Our hearts are secure in Christ!

The third piece of armor we need to put on is footwear that gets us ready for travel. In Romans 10:15 Paul talks about the ""beautiful feet"" of those who bring the gospel to others (see Isa. 52:7).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We hope that throughout this month we have conveyed this crucially important truth: Satan is the one ""on the run"" in spiritual warfare, not us. And he has already lost the war.

The elements of the armor we have studied today reflect this truth. We have God's truth that no force on earth or in hell can deny. Our salvation is secure in Christ. And we are prepared for action by the ""shoes"" of the gospel.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 6:16-18
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Jonathan Edwards, the great preacher and theologian we heard from earlier this month, was a scholar whose keen mind deserves a place among the most influential leaders of the Christian church. One secret to Edwards's ministry was the way he wielded ""the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."" He spent as many as 13 hours a day in Bible study and sermon preparation.

Talk about a well-prepared spiritual warrior! Jonathan Edwards did not wait for the enemy to carry the battle to him. Whether in the pulpit or in the study, he went on the offensive with the Spirit's sword.

Men and women such as Jonathan Edwards are examples worth imitating, even if we are worlds apart from them in time and culture. The armor of God fits every believer no matter what our generation or situation.

Today we finish putting on the full armor of God that Paul lays out for us. Aren't you thankful for the shield of faith? Without it, we would be spiritual ""target practice"" for Satan's ""flaming arrows."" Even in the case of Job, Satan could not penetrate that patriarch's shield of faith.

The helmet of salvation completes the armor we are to put on. Like the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet speaks of the spiritual protection afforded us by our salvation. With our minds and hearts covered in this way, we are ready for the enemy's attacks of doubt and disbelief.

The sword was the main offensive weapon of the well-equipped Roman soldier. It's an appropriate image for the Word of God, which is even sharper than a sword (Heb. 4:12). The same weapon that destroys our foe also cuts into our own lives, but for the purpose of healing and blessing. Only God could design such a sword!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Now that all of our armor is in place, it's time for an inspection.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 4:7-10
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TODAY IN THE WORD
When the Soviet Union decided to put nuclear missile sites in Cuba in 1962, attorney general Robert Kennedy called it the worst crisis since World War II. President John Kennedy, in a grim speech on October 22, warned that any ships bound for Cuba with nuclear weapons would be turned back. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev sent his ships toward Cuba anyway, and the world awaited Armageddon. But the United States held firm, and the Soviets withdrew the missiles.

The Cuban missile crisis gives us a pretty good picture of what Satan attempts to do in our lives. He tries to bring his weapons into close range, from where he can launch an attack on us. But when we resist him, he has to turn his ships around. He has no other choice.

For many of us, James 4 is familiar territory. Resisting Satan's temptations and lies is one of the most fundamental weapons of daily Christian living available to us.

In many ways, we are like the neighborhood runt who can stand on the street corner and wave his fist at the local bully because he has his father standing behind him. Even the weakest believer on his or her knees is stronger than all the armies of hell.

There's nothing mysterious about resisting Satan. Notice that James does not tell us to go looking for the devil so we can engage him in a contest of wits or wills. We are to resist his advances, not invite them. James tells us to draw near to God, not to temptation. The focus is on prayer, repentance and holy living.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
James 4 gives us a solid strategy for building the kind of life that can successfully resist Satan's opposition.

First, we are urged to submit to God and to humble ourselves before Him. This is an inner attitude of humility that recognizes His Lordship over us and relies on His power for our daily living.

Second, we must deal seriously with sin. As we have learned, any time we harbor sin in our hearts we are giving Satan a piece of territory on which to build a stronghold.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
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TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the more unusual political parties in American history was a group called the ""Know-Nothing Party."" Made up of members of certain secret societies, the party flourished for a few years before the Civil War. Meetings were held in secret, and the ideas that the Know-Nothings promoted were never openly discussed. Their standard answer to a question was, ""I don't know,"" giving the group its nickname. When the Know-Nothings split over the slavery issue in the 1856 election, the party soon disappeared.

Being a know-nothing in politics is probably of no use to anyone. So why was Paul ""resolved to know nothing"" when he came to Corinth for the first time ""except Jesus Christ and Him crucified""? Since ""being a know-nothing"" is a sound strategy for spiritual warfare, we need to answer this question.

Let's start with what Paul did not mean. He was not saying that when he came to Corinth, he was determined to bury his head in the sand and ignore everything that was going on around him. Paul's two letters to the Corinthians show that he was very much concerned with events in their city.

Our text explains what Paul did mean. He did not want the Corinthians' faith to rest upon the persuasive power and eloquence of his preaching. Instead, Paul desired that Christ alone take center stage in his preaching and in the lives of his converts. He didn't want to talk people into believing something just because he made it sound good.

After all, anything that someone can talk you into, someone else can talk you out of. That's why we suggest that the heart attitude of knowing nothing but Christ, a humble desire to make Him preeminent, is a good strategy for spiritual warfare.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We hope that you are now firmly convinced that when it comes to spiritual warfare, you are on the winning side, not on the defensive.

But absolute confidence in Christ and His power is different from the kind of presumption that assumes we are immune to spiritual failure. We don't have to tremble before the enemy, but neither can we afford to become cocky and assume we are above stumbling.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 3:18-22
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Iraq's military forces rolled into the tiny kingdom of Kuwait on August 12, 1990, effectively swallowing that nation and triggering the Gulf War. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had been warned for weeks not to invade Kuwait, but he refused to take the warnings seriously. But when the forces of the multi-nation ""Desert Storm"" coalition arrived and when President George Bush announced, ""The liberation of Kuwait has begun,"" everything changed.

When a vastly superior force joins the battle, things change, whether in earthly or in spiritual warfare. For the Christian, things always change when the Lord joins the battle. That was the promise Moses made to the people of Israel as they prepared to conquer Canaan. When the Lord your God fights for you, the outcome is assured. We want to leave you with this encouraging note as we wrap up the month.

The setting of Deuteronomy 3 is an interesting one. Two of the tribes of Israel, Reuben and Gad, along with the half tribe of Manasseh (v. 13) had settled on the eastern side of the Jordan River (the area known as Transjordan). Moses was upset with the arrangement at first, thinking the people would defect and not come to help their brother Israelites conquer Canaan.

But the men of these tribes promised to help when the need arose (Num. 32:16-19). Now it was time for them to keep their promise. Moses rallied them with the reminder that they were going into battle under the banner of the Lord's blessing and protection.

Someone may say, ""Well, if the Lord is going to fight my battles for me, I guess that means I can relax."" Not exactly. The men of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh still had to pick up their weapons and fight, but they weren't out there on their own.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
David told the Philistine giant Goliath that he was a beaten foe, because ""the battle is the Lord's"" (1 Samuel 17:47).

If you sometimes feel like a shepherd boy facing a giant when it comes to dealing with the devil, join the club! The enemy uses fear, discouragement and intimidation against all of us. That's how he fights.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 6:1-13
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TODAY IN THE WORD

During the War of 1812, British forces occupied Washington, D.C.,and set fire to public buildings. Many records were burned, butone volume that survived the fire was that of pension paymentsto Revolutionary War veterans. A microfilm of that volume wasrecently released by the National Archives, giving genealogicalbuffs access to the records of their Revolutionary War ancestors.

There is little doubt that this pension list contains the namesof many brave patriots whose acts of heroism were never made publicor have long since been forgotten. But those veterans who helpedwin our nation’s freedom still deserve our gratitude andrespect.

The Bible is full of unsung heroes and heroines, too. Scriptureis filled with the deeds of men, women, young people and evenchildren who honored God in a variety of ways and found themselvespart of sacred history. This month we are going to meet a cross-sectionof these fascinating people.

In the process, ranging far and wide over the biblical text,we will meet people of every age and rank. Some gave all theyhad to the Lord, such as the boy in today’s Bible readingwho gave his lunch to Jesus.

Others showed great courage or faithfulness. Still others tooka stand or simply made themselves available to God. We will findleaders, followers, and servants on the list—also priests,prophets, and parents.

You will recognize some names of the Bible’s unsung heroes.A few appear anonymously. What these remarkable individuals sharein common is that they can teach us lessons about how to be heroesand heroines in God’s service today.

Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand is so well known thatwe don’t need to break down the story verse by verse. It’seasy to get sentimental about this boy’s willingness tooffer his lunch to Jesus (v. 9), but it does seem to have beenan act of genuine trust. Just ask any hungry boy!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
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The lesson from today’s text is obvious. Whatever you mayhave to give Jesus, offer it to Him and watch what happens!

This truth applies to more than our finances or material goods,although we are called to make these available to the Lord. Maybewhat Jesus wants from you this month is a new step of obedienceor surrender. It may be one that you already know He wants youto take or something He will reveal to you in the days ahead.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read:
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TODAY IN THE WORD

Two men whose fishing boat sank off the coast of Hawaii earlylast December spent nearly a month drifting helplessly in a liferaft before they were rescued. After spending what they guessedwas Christmas Day thinking about their families, each man carveda message into a plastic paddle in case they didn’t makeit. The messages expressed love for their families and sorrowfor the grief the accident caused. One Coast Guard official calledtheir survival a “miracle.”

The widow in the town of Zarephath also faced life-threateningcircumstances. And like the two fishermen in Hawaii, she despairedof surviving her crisis. But this anonymous mother was willingto trust the God of Israel with the last handful of food she hadfor herself and her son. As a result, she helped preserve God’sprophet, saw His miraculous provision, and became an unsung Bibleheroine.

The cause of the widow’s distress was a famine that beganwhen the prophet Elijah pronounced a long drought on Israel (1Kings 17:1). This was during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, oneof the lowest points in Israel’s spiritual history.

After Elijah’s prophecy, the Lord hid His servant fromIsrael’s murderous “first couple.” But Elijahwas told to move on when the brook God had used to sustain himdried up from the drought. So the prophet traveled north of Israel;and God directed him to this woman, who was gathering sticks toprepare a last meal (v. 12).

Her desperation was very real. She was honest about her plight.She may also have been a worshiper of the true God, as evidencedby her oath in verse 12. We can’t be sure about the stateof her heart, but it’s clear that Elijah’s wordof assurance and promise in the Lord’s name (vv. 13-14)moved her to obey his request.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
hspace=5>How do you treat the other members of your family? Today, take a moment to consider hspace=5>hspace=5>hspace=5>

The idea of being heroic for God is pretty attractive. The problemis that we may not want to pay the price He asks.

God required from the widow of Zarephath what she held most preciousin life: the food that kept her alive and the son she loved. Becauseshe was willing to trust God for her daily bread, He was willingto restore her son.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 5:1-19
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TODAY IN THE WORD

Charles Spurgeon had been a pastor in London barely a year whenin 1854 his district was hit with a cholera epidemic. Large signswere posted on street corners warning everyone that the dreadeddisease was present. Family after family summoned the 20-year-oldpastor to comfort the dying. And almost every day, Spurgeon conductedthe funeral of another beloved parishioner. He himself becameso worn out in body and spirit that he felt he would collapse.But God protected His servant, and Spurgeon was able to carryout his duties without contracting cholera.

Imagine what would have happened if God had revealed to CharlesSpurgeon a means for curing cholera. Spurgeon would certainlyhave announced it far and wide, and his stricken parishionerswould likely have done anything their trusted pastor told themto experience a cure.

The Syrian army commander Naaman had just such an opportunityto be cured of a dreaded disease. In his case, the disease wasleprosy; and the opportunity came through a godly Hebrew slavegirl who became an unsung Bible heroine.

This girl had been taken captive by a band of raiders from Aram,an ancient name for Syria. She became a personal servant to Naaman’swife, a higher position than some slave women of that day whowere forced to work in the fields and stables of their captors.

From her position, this young girl from Israel urged her mistressto have Naaman visit the prophet Elisha and be cured. Actually,our heroine’s role in this drama is limited to two sentences(v. 3); but the effects of her faith were far-reaching. Here wasa girl who knew her God and who wasn’t hesitant to witnessto His power.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
How do you treat the other members of your family? Today, take a moment to consider

It really is amazing what God can do with us right where we are—ifwe’ll let Him.

It’s easy to feel trapped by circumstances. A difficultboss, the demands of motherhood, or a mountain of bills can makeus feel that we have little to give to someone in need.