lesson. There was no
virtue, probably, in going down to the Jordan, any more than in
obeying the voice of God. He had to obey the word, and

IN THE VERY ACT OF OBEDIENCE

he was blessed.

Look at those ten New Testament lepers who came to Christ. He said
to them: "Go show yourselves to the priests."

"Well," they might have said, "what good is that going to do us?
Here we are all full of leprosy, and if we go and show ourselves to
the priests they will order us back again into exile. That is not
going to help us."

But those ten men started off, and did just what the Lord Jesus
Christ told them to do, and in the very act of doing it they were
blessed; their leprosy left them.

He said to that man that had the palsy, whom they brought to Him
upon a bed: "Take up thy bed and walk."

The man might have said: "Lord, I have been trying for years to take
that bed up, but I can't. I haven't got the power. I have been
shaking with the palsy for the last ten years. Do you think that if
I could have rolled up that bed that I would have been brought here
and let down through the roof? I haven't the power."

But when the Lord commanded him He gave the power. Power came with
the command, and that man stood up, rolled up his bed, and started
off home. He was blessed in the very act of obedience.

My friends, if you want God to bless you, obey Him. Do whatsoever He
calls upon you to do, and then see if He will not bless you.

Christ went to a Pharisee's house one day while He was down here
upon earth, to be entertained. They wanted to get Him to do
something to break the law of Moses, that they might condemn Him to
death, and so they put a man right opposite to Him at the table with
a withered hand, to see if He would heal upon the Sabbath day. He
said to the man:

"Stretch out thy hand."

Now, the man might have said, "Lord, that is a very strange command.
I haven't got the power. That hand has been withered for the last
twenty years. I haven't stretched it out for the last twenty years;
and you say, 'Stretch it out.'"

But when He told him to do it He gave him the power, and out went
that old withered hand, and before it came out straight, right in
the very act, it was made whole. He was blessed in the very act of
obedience.

Now, Naaman had to be taught the lesson that he had to obey; and so,
finally, he went down to the Jordan just as he was told to do. And
if you will do just what the Lord tells you the Lor