Of Faith and Shadows


Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?”
Isaiah answered, “This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”
“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 upon the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
2 Kings 20:8-11

I’m trying to picture in my mind this conversation between Hezekiah the king of Israel and Isaiah the prophet. To any onlookers it must have seemed humorous. Isaiah had just told Hezekiah that the LORD would heal him and that he would go up to the temple on the third day. Those were two very specific prophetic words from the LORD. Hezekiah didn’t believe it and, like Gideon (and countless others through the ages), Hezekiah wanted a sign. So what does Isaiah do? He gave him a choice: a forward shadow or one that goes backward. The fact that Hezekiah even had a choice was significant (and a bit funny). Hezekiah chose the more difficult task: “tell the shadow to go backwards.” Would advancing the shadow be easier for God? Would it even matter? God could have made the shadow bright orange and it wouldn’t have been easier or more difficult.

Even though we’d never admit it publicly, but sometimes we think that God is a magic Genie who comes at our beck and call. It’s just the opposite. He’s in control. He calls the shots. Period. Establish that in your mind first.

I realize that many reading this are undergoing extremely difficult circumstances and need a miraculous intervention. Many are traumatized and feel beaten up by what has happened to you. Many are tired and frustrated at your circumstances. You’re ready to hang it up and call it quits on this Christian walk. You, too, desire that “sign” that God is going to make things right.

You know from deep within that God is in the process of rebuilding your life. You may not like it; you may not want it, but he’s rebuilding and “retooling” for His purposes. You may not quite understand what He’s doing, but it’s happening. Like Hezekiah, you want a sign that you’re on the right track. Perhaps God is even “silent.” Essentially, you want to continue doing the will of God. This is always a good indication that you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing: seeking HIm. Think about it, if you didn’t want to do God’s will, would you be worried about it and fretting over it?

For what it’s worth, here’s my suggestion: you’re at a crossroads so make a decision (not making a decision is also a decision). Don’t be afraid. You’ve prayed about it. You’ve sought Godly counsel. You’ve pored over Scripture. You’re written Pros and Cons columns on a sheet of paper. Now, make the decision. If you’re wrong, you go back and do it all over again. It probably won’t be the end of the world if you’re wrong. But if you’re right, you may have wondered why it took you so long! That’s essentially what faith is, take a step out even though you don’t know the outcome.

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One response to “Of Faith and Shadows”

  1. Oh hurray! I can leave a comment now! I don’t remember what I was going to type originally, but I glad you got this fixed. New theme looks nice, too.

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