2 Kings 2: Seeing Makes Believing Possible

“So he said, ‘You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.’”—2 Kings 2:10 NKJV

Elijah basically tells Elisha: you won’t be able to carry this unless you actually see it happen.

I’ve always been a believer that people struggle to become what they’ve never seen. There’s

something about witnessing it—whether up close or even from a distance—that unlocks a new level of belief.

It reminds me of the story of the four-minute mile. For so long, no one thought it was humanly possible to run a mile in under four minutes. Then Roger Bannister did it. And once he did, other people started breaking the same barrier. Why? Because once someone saw it done, it shifted what they believed was possible.

That’s what I see happening here with Elisha. The “hard thing” wasn’t just about receiving a double portion—it was about believing it was possible. Belief is so often birthed by sight.

It makes me wonder: where do I need to put myself in position to see what God is doing so my faith for it can grow? Who around me is living out something I’ve prayed for, and am I willing to follow closely enough to watch and believe it’s possible for me too?