God’s Word Is Alive

She Had Faith and Courage​—Do You?

THIS little Israelite girl is being taken captive by a marauding band of Syrians. Eventually she is brought to the wife of Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army. In this enemy territory, far from her home in Israel, she becomes a servant of Naaman’s wife.

Naaman is a valiant, mighty man who is held in high esteem. However, this great military commander is afflicted with the terrible disease leprosy, which eats away parts of a person’s body. Back in Israel, before she was captured, the little Israelite girl heard about the miracles Jehovah God performed through his prophet Elisha, including even the restoring of life to a woman’s dead son. (2 Kings 4:8-37) Unlike so many others, the little girl has complete faith in God’s miracles, and she has the courage to speak up about them.

So one day, as you can see, the little girl tells Naaman’s wife: ‘If my master would go to Samaria, Jehovah’s prophet there would cure him of leprosy.’ Well, eventually, someone goes to Naaman and reports what the little Israelite girl said. How this must have impressed Naaman!

As here pictured, we can imagine Naaman approaching the little girl and saying something like this: ‘I am the chief of the army of Syria. Yet you dare to urge me to go to your country, to the prophet of your God, that I might be cured of my leprosy. Little one, you have great faith and unselfish courage, risking my displeasure to render me this kindness. I will ask permission of the Syrian king to go to Israel.’​—2 Kings 5:1-5.

Can you see yourself in a position similar to that of the little Israelite girl? Do you know about Jehovah’s goodness and how he purposes to create a new system of things in which all people will be healthy and can live forever? (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:3, 4) Why, most people today know little if anything about these things!

So, as a youngster, you might find yourself in a situation like that of the young girl pictured here. The teacher and the other students in this class do not know about Jehovah. In such a case, if you had the opportunity, would you have the faith and courage to speak up and help others to go where they can receive spiritual healing?

But what happened to Naaman? Was he healed? That is another story, and we will consider it later.