2 Kings 5:13
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?

Naaman was a mighty man, a captain, a warrior, and mighty men seek to perform mighty deeds, to show their strength, to fight their own battles. It takes a different kind of strength to be humble. Perhaps it takes desperation at times or maybe an incurable disease. It wasn’t bringing a large amount of wealth that could cure him. It wasn’t his past conquests and victories. In fact, there wasn’t anything contained within himself that could be used to cure Naaman. What could cure Naaman was obedience to a simple command to wash and be clean, and though he resisted at first, he eventually obeyed and received the blessing of healing.

We would all seek to do some great thing in order to receive healing from our sin, our incurable disease. But no amount of strength within ourselves could earn us the salvation that God so freely offers us. All we need to do is simply go and wash in the fountain of Jesus’ blood that He shed for us. Perhaps it seems too simple a task. Perhaps it seems beneath us to stoop down into someone else’s sacrifice and come out clean on the other side. But God’s mercy and love is deep and wide, more so than any river that runs along this Earth. His flow of grace is unending, and with His power behind it, it is enough to cleanse every sin from every age.

The servants’ words are true. If salvation required some mighty act of our own strength or power, we would gladly undertake that challenge. But will we instead humble ourselves, recognize our own helplessness, and approach that sweet river’s edge and simply wash and be clean? Or will we remain stubborn and hardheaded and continue on the rest of our days with the plague of sin festering inside us?

Life on this Earth can be complicated, and we face many complex issues and problems. We will face many difficult choices on our journey through life. But God’s plan of redemption really is that simple. It might make us feel better to be able to perform some mighty deed to gain the prize of salvation and forgiveness. But Jesus has already gone through the hard part for us. He endured the pain, undertook the trial, and gave His life for us. How sweet it is to receive that precious gift from Him, wrapped up in His love.