*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL* _By Pastor Mensa Otabil_ Monday 9th June, 2025 *NAAMAN - A MAN OF OPPOSITES* *Scripture Reading:* 2 Kings 5:1-19 > _Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honourable man in the eyes of his master because, by him, the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valour but a leper. *2 Kings 5:1*_ Naaman is a man of opposites. He is a man who is defined by both his public successes and his private struggles. As a very successful military general, Naaman had a record of impressive victories on the battlefield. He was a national hero. Privately, Naaman had struggled with a condition that could remove him from public view into obscurity. He had leprosy. Because he still functioned in public, we cannot tell if his kind of leprosy was a milder form of the disease. Although Naaman was not a worshipper of the Lord God, the passage credits God with his victories. He was a man favoured by the Lord in his undertakings. The Lord can use those who don’t know Him to work out His purposes. Being used by God and knowing God are not the same thing; God uses all of His human creation, but He also wants His human creation to know Him in their hearts. Naaman is a picture of many people who have achieved a lot in the public eye yet are fighting a losing battle in their private lives. Externally, he looked whole and complete, but internally he was being eaten by a destructive disease. God had helped Naaman win a lot of battles, but it appeared as if God was silent about his struggle with leprosy. Many of us can relate to Naaman’s plight. We can relate to times when the Lord has helped us win significant battles in our lives and times when He seems to be uninterested in our struggles. Though Naaman’s illness had not affected his role and position, it had the potential of eventually taking over his entire life and ruining him. Are you struggling with something that seeks to destroy every good thing you’ve achieved in life? Naaman’s struggle was with leprosy. Some of us may not be struggling with an illness but alcoholism, drugs gambling or adultery. Is there any habit that is secretly eating you away? Are you like Naaman? Do you appear to everyone as successful, while contending internally with issues that threaten all that you have achieved? The good news is that God is near and His help is close. *Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, thank you for all the fantastic things you have done through me. Help me to overcome all my setbacks. In Jesus’ name, *Amen!*_