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The king of Syria had a captain
over his army, named Naaman. Naaman was a very rich man; and his
master loved and honored him, because he was brave, and fought his battles
for him; so Naaman had much to make him happy; but there was one thing
which spoilt all his joys and pleasures. What was it? Naaman
was a leper. We have read before about the leprosy, and what a
dreadful disease it was. There was no cure for the leprosy. No
medicine, no physician, could cleanse it. God alone could take it
away. Poor Naaman! His leprosy made him feel very sad; and he
often wished he could be well, and enjoy all his riches and honors.
There is always something in this world to make us unhappy; we cannot have
all we want. Solomon was very rich, richer than Naaman, but he was
not happy. He said, "All is vanity and vexation of
spirit." If we had all the riches of the world, we should still
feel like Solomon and Naaman. There would be something to vex
us. Sickness or trouble, or pain, would spoil all our worldly
joys. How foolish it is then to love worldly things so much!
They must disappoint us; but if our affections are set on things above, we
cannot be disappointed. God can give us real joy which will never
pass away. But Naaman knew
nothing of God. He was an idolater. The king of Syria and all
his people were idolaters. Naaman was sick and sorrowful, and he had
nothing to comfort him. Some time before, the Syrians had fought
with Israel, and taken prisoner a little Israelitish girl, and brought her
to Syria. The little maid was taken to Naaman's house, and she
waited upon his wife. She was a very obedient and gentle little
girl. She tried to please her mistress, and was always respectful
and kind to her. Her master and mistress were kind to her; and the
little maid loved them, and felt grateful to them. When she saw her
master suffering so much, she was very sorry, and she thought, "I
wish I could help my master." Then she remembered that there
were lepers in her own country. She had heard of the laws about the
leprosy; and she knew, too, that Israel's God had power to cure it.
And she recollected Elisha, and all the miracles he had done, and she
thought, "God gives great power to Elisha. He has raised the
dead to life; he has fed the people in the famine; he has done many more
wonderful things. Perhaps God would give him power to cleanse my
master of his leprosy." It was right of the little girl to
think about these things. She was far away from God's people; but
she loved them still, and liked to remember them, and talk of them.
We may hope that this little girl truly loved and served the God of
Israel, and that she had faith in Him, and trusted in Him as her father
and her friend, when she was far away from her earthly friends. We
shall soon see how God blessed this little maid, and how useful He made
her to her master. One day,
when the little girl was waiting upon her mistress, she said, "I wish
my master could see the prophet who is in Samaria. God gives great
power to that prophet. He has done many wonderful things. He
would cure my master of his leprosy." Her mistress was
surprised; but she sent and told Naaman what the little maid had
said. Naaman was glad to hear that he could be cured; and his
master, the king of Syria, was glad, too. He called Naaman, and
said, "Go to the land of Israel; I will give thee a letter for the
king there, and he will tell thee how to be cured of thy
leprosy." So Naaman made ready his horses, and chariots, and
servants, and went to Samaria. How glad the little maid was to see
her master go! She hoped that soon he would come home again cleansed
and cured of his leprosy. Perhaps she prayed that her master might
learn to worship the God of Israel, and give up his idols; for if the
little girl loved God herself, she must have wished all her friends to
love Him too.
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