Surrender Your Christmas
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)
This is a story no one would expect during Advent but there really is a connection. We are so busy with the season; all the finding, gifting, planning, and preparing that we can’t even hear His voice speaking to our hearts. At least that’s me. But I desire to be closer and to do His will even if it makes no sense to me. When I first read this snippet from Chad Robert’s sermon, my initial thoughts were, ‘Well, that’s a great story but it has nothing to do with Christmas.’ I was wrong. By the time I had read it the third time, I could see why he chose Naaman. You see, we can’t do life alone.
Are we blinded by the world’s bling, blitz, and glitter? Have we missed His voice amidst the holiday cheer? Is surrendering to Him part of our days? Can we do His bidding even when it makes no earthly sense? Let’s see what he has to say.
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Naaman’s story in 2 Kings 5 shows the power of humility, obedience, and God’s grace. A great Syrian commander, Naaman had status and wealth but suffered from leprosy—a condition that symbolized sin, isolating and defiling him. Despite his power, he couldn’t heal himself, reminding us that everyone needs God’s intervention.
Hope came through an unlikely source—a young Israelite slave girl who pointed him to the prophet Elisha. Her faith reminds us to pay attention to the quiet, unexpected ways God speaks.
When Naaman sought healing, he expected grandeur, offering extravagant gifts and imagining dramatic gestures. Instead, Elisha gave him a simple instruction: wash seven times in the Jordan. Initially angry and prideful, Naaman resisted, but his servants convinced him to obey. Through humble submission, he was healed—both physically and spiritually.
Naaman’s journey teaches us key lessons:
1. God’s power transcends human limitations; salvation is a gift of grace, not something we earn.
2. Humility unlocks healing; pride can block us from receiving God’s blessings.
3. The Gospel is simple—repent, believe, and follow Jesus.
True transformation comes through surrender and faith.
Loving Savior, thank You for the Holy Spirit that nudges us to come closer and leave the world behind. Help us to surrender our seasonal busyness to Your will—even when we don’t understand. AMEN.