2 Kings 19:20-37

“And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.” (2 Kings 19:35, ESV)

We are a people who like boundaries. We build fences. We mark off days and hours. We determine whom we will allow to know our inner self. We also set boundaries for God. We limit him by our unbelief. When Jesus visited his hometown of Nazareth, He could not do many miracles there because of their unbelief (Mark 6:5-6). We can free God to do more simply by extending the boundaries of our faith.

“So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”” (Mark 11:22–24, NKJV)

This is such a marvelous promise that we limit it. Since I have never seen a mountain removed and cast into the sea, I assume that Jesus didn’t mean what He said. Maybe He meant that I could move a mountain of bills or a mountain of chores! When Jesus says to believe that we have whatever we’ve asked for in prayer, then we limit it with the statement, “But only if it is God’s will.” When we are finished rationalizing the promise, then we are left thinking that God only gives what He wants to give, so why bother asking?

But occasionally God blows our minds! That is what happened to King Hezekiah and the people of Judah. They were terrified that the Assyrians would destroy Jerusalem. Even if they believed that God could somehow turn the course of events, no one ever thought that God would send one angel to kill 185,000 Assyrians in one night! This event was so amazing that the Holy Spirit recorded it three times in Scripture (2 Kings 19:35; 2 Chronicles 32:21; Isaiah 37:36).

This causes me to wonder…have I set boundaries for God? Am I limiting Him by my unbelief? Is there more that He would be willing to do if I would simply ask in faith, believing that He will do it? I think we all know the answer!