Shaken...again...

The Lord has been talking to me a lot about being shaken in the last week. It reminded me of my post from April 29, 2013. (Click here to read the original post).

This Thursday, a devotional I wrote will be published with The Upper Room, a devotional magazine. Can you guess the title? Shaken. 

Coincidence? No. Divine appointment? Definitely.

This time the shaking had nothing to do with offense, irritation, or other catastrophes; but it was an emotional shaking just the same. There are times in our lives that the Lord authors divine shaking appointments. Not to scare us or challenge our faith, but to sift through that which He cannot use and rebuild from the scattered remains left after the dust settles.

To quote myself from two years ago, “God’s version of shaking brings down works of the flesh so that only the Spirit remains. Still not convinced? Here are just some of the benefits of shaking:

·        It reveals what our foundation is made of and brings us closer to it.

·        It awakens us.

·        It removes what is dead or useless.

·        It reveals weakness and breaking points.

So yes, shaking is necessary, and yes, shaking is Holy. I’ve learned the hard way what your heart clings will be the substance of all your building materials.

Bitterness - this material is brittle and compromises the foundation; so toss that one aside for the Trash Collector. Anxiousness - this one is just as unstable, but masks itself as fear, worry, fretting, and loss of sleep. Again, it is unstable material so leave that one by the curb, too. Hopelessness - this one turns to sand in the foundation so it is useless, put it in the recycle bin to be rolled into the Faith compost pile.

Dear one, we serve a mighty God who authored the heavens and the earth. Unfortunately, this includes earthquakes. Choose to look for - and cling to - His presence and salvation amidst the shaking. If you do, you will have strong materials for restoration.

I’m awake now, and He is pruning what is dead or useless. My weaknesses are again revealed within His loving embrace. Sometimes we have to be shaken and break in areas, just to be rebuilt. Luke 3:5-6

Be encouraged... for if you are in a season of shaking, a season of rebuilding follows. 

Wanderlust or Just Wandering, Part II - Shaken not Stirred

Offense is a funny thing. Sometimes it sneaks up on you like a cat ready to pounce on its prey; sometimes it is disguised with self-righteousness or blanketed with irritation so you don’t recognize it.

The Lord spent 18 years shaking my foundations to see what remained. Thankfully, very little; but like a California earthquake, I have been tossed and shaken until all I see is rubble. And it was necessary.

There are those that would claim it was the enemy as God doesn't cause earthquakes or catastrophes.

Really?

What about Sodom and Gomorrah?

What about the idolatrous Israelites in the wilderness?

What about David losing his son? Or Peter denying his Lord? Both were shaken to their very core.  Why?

Because God can’t build on a faulty foundation. God’s version of shaking brings down works of the flesh so that only the Spirit remains. Still not convinced? Here are just some of the benefits of shaking:

·         It reveals what our foundation is made of and brings us closer to it.

·         It awakens us.

·         It removes what is dead or useless.

·         Weakness and breaking points are revealed.

So yes, shaking is necessary, and yes shaking is Holy. And by the Grace of God, it will be used to rebuild upon a rock.