2 Kings 20:10-11 (NIV) “It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.” Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

When King Hezekiah got sick and the Prophet Isaiah told him to get his house in order because he was about to die, the king broke down and wept and cried out to the Lord. Before Isaiah was able to leave the palace grounds, the Lord sent him back to the king with a new message. The Lord had heard the cry of this good king and wanted to let him know that He would heal him. Isaiah told him what the Lord had said, revealing that the king would be well in three days. He also told him what to do in order for him to be healed. Then Hezekiah asked Isaiah for a sign from the Lord that would confirm that what the prophet spoke would indeed come to pass. Isaiah gave the king a choice of two signs: either the shadow on the sundial would fast-forward ten steps or go backwards ten steps. The choice was up to the king. While both of those signs would require a supernatural act by God, the king chose the more impossible of the two.

King Hezekiah, who was desperate for his miracle of healing, was not playing around! He so wanted to know if what the prophet had told him was really true that he asked not only for the impossible to happen, but for the truly impossible as far as he was concerned. We all know that a shadow can only move as the sun moves slowly in the course of its daily journey in the sky. It can't go forward quickly on its own nor can it go backwards. But in the king's mind, going backward would be harder for God to do. And he had no doubt that if God was really speaking, it would be no problem for God to do the harder thing. Of course, we know that nothing is hard for God and that the shadow going backward or forward made no difference to the vast power of our Almighty God. But I must agree with Hezekiah that to us as humans, the shadow going backwards would look like a greater miracle.

That leads me to thinking about how much we believe God for. When we are facing impossible odds, do we dare pray the absolute impossible or do we lessen what we ask for because it may sound too spectacular? Does our faith match the awesomeness of God? I must confess that many times it doesn't. As a matter of fact, the Word of God calls us out for not even asking (James 4:2)! If something seems too impossible, many believers don't even bother asking. If they do ask, they ask for something smaller than what God can do. Let's learn a lesson from King Hezekiah and go for the gusto! If there is a need that not only seems impossible but that actually is impossible in the natural realm, let's dare to not only ask God to do it but also believe that He will! We, as followers of Christ, cannot be accused of believing God for too much. Our problem is that we don't believe Him for enough in our lives when we see circumstances as places too high to reach and oceans too vast and deep to cross. Let's get into the habit of asking God to do the impossible because that is exactly what He does!

Pastor Joey Vazquez