Profit and Loss - Exchange Price
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him” (2 Kings 5:20).
Our Father and great God in heaven, The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever (Psalm 119:160 - ESV). The psalmist prayed, Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! (Psalm 119:5), because he understood that You intend Your words and Your laws for our fullest benefit.
David knew this, when at the end of his life he told his son, Solomon, Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to Him, and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and regulations...Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go (1 Kings 2:3).
Oh, but often, Lord, in our human thinking, we seek to benefit outside Your commands, and to prosper through our own methods. Yet, what do we, with our human limitations, human wisdom, human vision, and human selfishness, know about true profit and loss? What do we know about divine economies, and cascading results, and hidden repercussions, and shared impact?
These were the things that Gehazi, Elisha's servant ignored in his short-sighted greed and covetousness. Deciding that Elisha was too easy on Naaman, Gehazi concocted a devious, underhanded scheme for extracting a gift from the foreign official (2 Kings 5:15-16; 20-24).
We are not expressly told in Scripture why Elisha did not accept a thing from the military officer even though Naaman urged him (2 Kings 5:16). Naaman had recognized the work of God in the disease-cleansing miracle he had received, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel..." (2 Kings 5:15). But he immediately followed up with his offer, "So please accept a gift from your servant.”
Elisha's adamant refusal may mean he realized for certain that Naaman was trying to pay for God's gift of healing—or it may mean that Elisha was concerned that accepting the gift might imply payment—regardless of Naaman's intent. Or perhaps Elisha was simply not interested in the encumbrances of material things. Whatever the reason, Elisha with godly wisdom and vision had declined.
Oh Father, give us the same wisdom, vision, and disinvestment from material things. Help us to seek first Your kingdom, and Your righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Help us to uphold Your honor and Your reputation and abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22 - KJ21). Thank You for Your promise to provide all the things we need (Matthew 6:33).
Your unerring word tells us, Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out (Proverbs 10:9). Gehazi paid a costly price for his ill-gotten gains and his compounding lying and dishonesty (2 Kings 5:22-26).
Keep us from similar errors. Keep us from dishonest gain, lying, and compromise. Keep us from crooked paths. Give us eyes full of light and hearts full of integrity so that we do not gain the whole world, yet forfeit [our] soul (Matthew 16:26).
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