Where Has God Placed You?

Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 2 Kings 5:2

The little Israelite girl in today’s passage is easy to overlook. Today I spent time visualizing her circumstances. A band of raiders kidnapped her, taking her from her family and home. They force her into slavery in a foreign country. How terrifying that must have been. Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Aram, and the young girl became a servant to his wife. I imagine he was a powerful man and very fierce. The Bible tells us that he was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. Leprosy was one of the most feared diseases of the time. Some forms were extremely contagious and, in many cases, incurable. His disease would have added to the fear of this little girl’s situation.

We could wonder why God would allow such a tragedy to take place in this young girl’s life, but as we study this story further, we discover that God placed her exactly where He needed her to be. The little girl’s faith and compassion brought healing and faith in God to a powerful Aramean commander. God had placed her with them for a purpose, and she was faithful.

How would you respond if this story were about you? Would you think that his illness was well deserved because of his actions that had so greatly affected your life? Would you be silent about the available cure? Would you become resentful and bitter? How often do we feel that way in our own circumstances?

Life can often feel unfair. We can be forced into dealing with circumstances that we would never have chosen for ourselves, and like this young girl, we have a choice in how we will respond. Jesus told us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. No matter where God has placed us or allowed us to be, we can have an impact in the lives of others for Him.

Look how Naaman’s life was completely changed because of the faith and compassion of the little girl he held captive. God works in the most incredible and unique ways. The next time we find ourselves thinking life is unfair, perhaps we should take a moment and remember we are not there by accident. God has a purpose, and we have the privilege of telling others what God can do.