Information is the starting point to most miracles. When critical information is acted on, miracles occur. Bartimaeus was blind, but his faculty of hearing was intact. When he heard the throng, he probed what was going on. Gathering that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry for mercy. He went home with restored sight. In our text, we have another miracle jumpstarted with a piece of information. There is a background to this. The opening verses of 2 Kings 5 capture the exploits of the Syrian general, Naaman. He had brought many victories to his country. However, his illustrious career was punctured by a debilitating disease of leprosy. A young slave girl he had brought home would later suggest that he visit the prophet for healing.

Information is the starting point to most miracles. When critical information is acted on, miracles occur…sharing the knowledge we possess could be the very thing that sets someone up for their breakthrough.

He nearly missed his miracle because he assumed he could instruct God on how to act. When the prophet told him to dip in the Jordan River, he considered it beneath him. After all, his homeland had better rivers, and if a simple plunge was all it took for healing, he would prefer to use one of those. He also expected the prophet to come to him personally and perform the healing. However, his servants urged him to obey the prophet’s instructions, and when he finally did, he received his healing. The key lesson from this story is clear: since we have seen that information can lead to a miracle, sharing the knowledge we possess could be the very thing that sets someone up for their breakthrough.