Beyond The Shadow Of A doubt

Wednesday, May 20

2 Kings 20:8-11 (NKJV)

“And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day?”Then Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?”And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees.”So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.”

Devotion

Did Hezekiah really need a sign to confirm the healing? We read in verse 7, “Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered.”

Hezekiah had already recovered from that dangerous infection.

So, what was Hezekiah seeking?

Jesus, in His ministering to the 10 lepers in Matthew 9:5, had proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that all ten were cleansed, yet only one was made whole.

Hezekiah was seeking the confirmation that God indeed heard his prayer and saw his tears of repentance; that he was not his father’s son, and that he would not suffer for the sins of his father, Ahaz.

Each one of us, when we become sick, wants to be cleansed and recover. Yet still, we desire more; we want to keep our recovery so that we may remain whole.

It is one thing to recover from an illness; however, there is opportunity when God puts us on our feet and allows us to “walk it out.”

It wasn’t Hezekiah’s idea for the shadow to move backward or forward. Hezekiah, simply knowing the God of the impossible, was about to witness the God who shows Himself strong on our behalf in confirming the impossible.

Today's Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You that You are the God who not only hears prayer but confirms Your word beyond the shadow of a doubt. Strengthen my faith when I have already seen Your hand but still struggle to trust fully. Heal what is broken in me, and establish me in the assurance that You are faithful to Your promises. Help me not to live by uncertainty or fear, but by confidence in Your truth. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Apply It Today

When God has already begun to move in your situation, don’t stop at partial faith—ask Him to establish your heart in full assurance. Instead of constantly seeking new signs, choose to trust what He has already spoken and walk forward in obedience, even when your feelings lag behind your healing.

Resources
  • Feeling like what God spoke over your life is taking too long or slipping out of reach? Watch this short clip, “Don’t Give Up On What God Told You”, and be reminded that God’s word over you is still alive, still working, and still on time.