Many years ago at the height
of the Word of Faith movement, Dr. Frederick K. C. Price wrote a book called Faith,
Foolishness, or Presumption?. It rattled the WoF community. I’m not
commending or condemning the book or the author, just using it as a backdrop
for this installment on the blog.
Whenever we step out and
“believe God” we need to be certain that we are acting in faith, and not
foolishness or presumption. Today we will look at presumption.
The story Naaman, found in 2
Kings 5, has intrigued me for a long time. It illustrates what happens to
someone who steps out on presumption. According to Webster
presumption is “an attitude or belief dictated by probability; the ground,
reason, or evidence lending probability to a belief.”
When we go to God for a
solution we need to be willing to accept His resolution to the problem at hand.
Consider this portion of the story.
2
Kings 5:9-12 (KJV) So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and
stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him,
saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to
thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold,
I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the
name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the
leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the
waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went
away in a rage.
He went to receive a miracle
(healing of an incurable disease) but wanted it done his way. Naaman wanted to
believe, but he deduced how it would go down. He thought the prophet was going
“conjure” up some kind cure, as a witchdoctor might attempt to do. He thought
there would be some theatrics involved, some grandiose display that would
accompany the miracle.
Instead, Elisha told him to
go take a bath in a muddy river, 7 times, and the leprosy would be washed away.
“Behold, I thought …” That is presumption. It seemed so innocent.
On the trip over to Israel some in Naaman’s entourage began speculating on what
would occur. “Perhaps he will pour a magic potion on you.” “Maybe he has an
incantation that will make you clean.” “Perhaps he will strike his hand over
the place …” At some point Naaman was convinced by the reason given him by
others as to what would take place when they met the prophet. He was wrong.
Fortunately for Naaman, this
was not the end of the story. He listened to more counsel as they walked away. 2
Kings 5:13-14 (KJV) 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? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
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.
Presumption can be displaced and give way to faith. Naaman must
have realized that miraculous does not always come by extravagant or lavish
means. Consider Jesus: born in a stable (virgin birth), carpenter by trade
(Kingdom builder), kill by an angry mob (spotless Lamb sacrificed for the sin
of the world). Yes, Jesus fed the multitude, but He also talked with a woman at
a well, ministered deliverance to a demon-tormented man in Gadera, and spoke
with an adulterous woman after everyone was gone.
Never miss the miraculous by
discounting it as simple. Don’t give place to presumption.
Our prayer: Lord, help me
believe Your word. Let me not calculate the probability, but accept Your answer
without question. Remove any presumption that might be buried in me by
revealing Your Truth. In Jesus’ name.
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