God’s ways are mysterious and it can oftentimes be difficult to hope in the midst of losing a job, battling cancer, or being forced to leave a country.  Such must have been the case for the servant girl to Naaman’s wife:

“Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife.” (2 Kings 5:2)

Can you imagine?  I mean struggling with a broken down car is no fun, but it doesn’t compare to being taken as a child from your parents, by a marauding army, to serve in a foreign land amongst a people who have viciously attacked your own.  I mean, if anybody had the right to grit their teeth and shake their fist due to their circumstances, it would seem to be this poor, unfortunate girl.  We wouldn’t be surprised to see her questioning her LORD’s providence.  You wouldn’t be shocked to find her holding deep-seated bitterness towards her captors and wishing them ill will.  Yet, on the subject of Naaman (the commander of the Syrian king’s army) and his leprosy, she says to her mistress:

“Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria!  He would cure him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:3)

As our family read this together in our devotions yesterday, I was floored by the simplicity of this young girl’s words, and yet the complexity of what must have occurred in her heart to bring her to those words.  In the end, she was a means to not just the salvation of Naaman’s skin (2 Kings 5:14), but more importantly, his soul (2 Kings 5:15).  So wherever you are today, whether you expected to be there or not, no matter if the journey was perilous and costly, be prepared; the LORD may give you the opportunity to lovingly point another weary soul to the only place of hope and redemption for us all, our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.