Practical Lessons from II Kings (Part 2)
Our next practical lesson from II Kings is this:

4. THOSE WHO LOVE THE LORD ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO DO GOOD FOR HIS SERVANTS.
II Kings 4:8-10 - "Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. And she said to her husband, 'Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.'"

What a generous and thoughtful thing to do for a man of God! This woman clearly loved God and His servants, and she used her blessings to be a blessing to him. She didn't wait to be asked; she didn't inquire if there was anything she could do for him. She simply examined the situation and took appropriate action. May we follow her noble example today, always looking for ways to do good for God's servants!

5. SOME WANT CLEANSING BUT ONLY ON THEIR TERMS.
II Kings 5:10-12 - "And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, 'Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.' But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, 'Indeed, I said to myself, "He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy." Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?' So he turned and went away in a rage."

Naaman desired to be healed, but his pride was getting in the way here. He expected to be greeted personally by the prophet; he wasn't. He expected the prophet to heal him directly; he didn't. Naaman was upset and stormed off angrily. There are some modern-day Naaman's who also want to be cleansed but only on their terms! Some are unwilling to accept God's word and what it prescribes for forgiveness (cf. John 8:24; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 22:16; etc.).

6. REAL FRIENDS WILL KINDLY TELL YOU WHEN YOU ARE MAKING A MISTAKE.
II Kings 5:13 - "And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, 'My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, "Wash, and be clean"?'"

The servants had a very good point, and Naaman was persuaded by their wisdom. It's often easier to remain silent than it is to do the right thing by confronting someone or correcting them, but that's what real friends do--in a proper spirit, of course. Today, a real friend who is a Christian will find a proper way to convey the serious mistake his non-Christian friends are making in living life without submitting to God (cf. Eze. 3:18,19).