God’s word directs us on how to be pleasing to him and how to live for him. His plan for man’s salvation of faith, repentance and baptism for the remission of sins is a simple plan; you would think that everyone would just obey it rather than try to change it to suit them.

Yet as we look through the Bible, we see that this idea of doing things our way is not new — it has happened time and time again throughout history.

This is seen in the example of Naaman, captain of the host of Syria (2 Kings 5:1). Naaman served the king of Syria and was captain of his armies, but he had leprosy, which causes the flesh to decay and fall off. It can happen to people in all walks of life.

So here is this great man of Syria with the disease. In one of his battles, he captured a little Hebrew maiden who became a servant to Naaman’s wife. The maiden told how the prophet of God could cure him of this dreaded disease, so Naaman went to see the prophet.

In his mind, he had decided just how the cure would come about. “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” (2 Kings 5:9-12).

You see, Naaman — the man who had the terrible disease with no possible way of being cured — heard the remedy but thought his way would be much better. Fortunately for Naaman, he had a servant who could show him he needed to reel in his pride. “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?’” (2 Kings 5:13). When he obeyed the prophet’s words, his leprosy was cured. He realized that God’s way had to be followed or else he would not be healed.

God has the cure for man’s terrible disease of sin. It is recorded in his word: the Bible. If man will follow the commands of God, he can be cured, but so many are just like Naaman. They think that God should do what they think is best rather than realizing that God is has the only true cure.

Open up God’s word, read it, study it and obey it. Follow God’s way and you will find the cure you need.