DAYLIGHT SAVINGS GOD’S WAY
From 2 Kings 20:9–11 we read, “And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD… shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?… And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward…”
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS GOD’S WAY. Every year around daylight savings time, the same debate starts all over again. Some people love it, while others dread losing an hour of sleep. In fact, there has been a bill introduced in Congress just recently to make daylight saving time permanent year-round so people would no longer have to deal with the twice-a-year time change. Isn’t it amazing how much attention we give to changing time by just one hour? People talk about being tired, schedules feeling off, and how long it takes their bodies to adjust. But in our Scripture for today, God did something no politician, scientist, or government could ever do. God did not merely move the clock one hour—He moved the shadow backward ten degrees on the sundial of Ahaz. The sundial of Ahaz was a device used in Bible times to measure time by the movement of the sun’s shadow. Bible commentators believe time went back around forty minutes. It was a sign to Hezekiah that God would answer his prayer to extend his life. He would allow him to live another fifteen years. The God who created time showed that He is not controlled by time. Time answers to Him. But have you ever wondered why this incident is even recorded in the Bible? How does this miraculous event speak to us today?
GOD CAN REVERSE WHAT LOOKS HOPELESS. When Hezekiah looked at his situation, everything pointed in one direction. Humanly speaking, there was no hope for him. But God stepped into the situation and changed what appeared impossible. I read about a man who had an old watch that had belonged to his grandfather. One day the watch stopped working. He took it to several places, and each one said the same thing: “It’s too old. It can’t be fixed.” Finally, he found a watchmaker who carefully opened it, cleaned it, repaired a few tiny parts, and before long the hands were moving again. Everybody else saw something finished, but the watchmaker saw something that could be restored. That is what God does. People may look at your situation and say, “There’s no fixing that marriage…that family…that circumstance.” But God sees possibilities where we see endings.
The Bible is full of reminders of this truth. Israel stood trapped at the Red Sea with mountains on each side and Pharaoh’s army behind them. It looked hopeless, but God opened a path where there was no path. David stood in front of Goliath while everyone else saw an unbeatable giant, but David saw an opportunity for God to work. Lazarus had been dead four days and Martha said, “Lord…by this time he stinketh,” but Jesus walked to the tomb and called him out alive. Think about it…if God can part seas, defeat giants, and raise the dead, He can handle whatever looks impossible in your life.
GOD CAN RESTORE WHAT SEEMS LOST. The miracle was not merely that a shadow moved backward; it was a reminder that God was giving Hezekiah more time and more mercy. God was showing him that He was not finished with him yet. Peter thought he had ruined everything after denying Jesus three times. Imagine the guilt and regret he carried. Yet Jesus restored him and later used him to preach on the day of Pentecost. Joseph lost his coat, his freedom, and years of his life, yet God turned the prison into a time of preparation. Naomi thought life had left her empty and even said, “Call me Mara,” meaning bitter, but God restored joy to her life. The prodigal son wasted everything and ended up feeding pigs, but when he came home, he found a father waiting with open arms. God takes broken things and puts them back together. He takes losses and turns them into lessons. He takes pain and turns it into purpose.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? Have you already decided that some situation in your life is beyond hope? Have you already written things off as hopeless? God hasn’t. Remember, the God who moved the shadow backward for Hezekiah is still moving today. If He can part seas, restore failures, redeem wasted years, and raise dead things, then your situation is not too hard for Him. So if God can move the shadow backward, what problem in your life is too difficult for Him? Think it over…🙏