Shaken

Have you ever been shaken by a situation or a spoken word?  Did it feel like your world was falling apart – and landing right on top you?

Shaken.

So many things can shake our world – or our worldview. Have you ever considered how many ways loss expresses itself and shakes us up? So many forms of loss…

You – or someone you know – may have experienced a shaking – or many.  There are so many facets to how we are or can be shaken – these are just a few that are top of mind.

Loss of a promotion, a pet, a piece of property or even a person we dearly love – and our world is shaken.

Loss of our pride, a ding on a prized award we worked so diligently to earn, or God forbid – we think – a truth confronting a prejudice we carry in whatever form it expresses itself.

Loss of the ability to conceive – oh how that makes one (or many) grieve.

Loss of a longstanding friendship – how that frightens, frustrates and fuels an emotional roller coaster.  Have you ever been shaken by one of those HUGE roller coasters? The Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas literally shook an earring out of my pierced ears. Loss of a friendship is even more precious than that displaced diamond (thankfully it was found at my feet!)

Loss of our faith. Not only does that shake our world, quite frankly it frightens me. My older son, after losing his younger brother, believes there cannot be a God, for how would a good God take good people away so tragically? How that hurts my heart to hear.

Hear the Heavenly Voice
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:25-29 (NKJV)

May He reveal Himself to those who have lost their way, quiet our souls, still our minds, and hold our hearts so near and dear to His Almighty Presence. He alone can shake us in ways designed to ensure His will is done. May we listen for God’s voice and serve Him well.  Why? To remain in our Holy God’s Kingdom, because then we cannot be shaken by those things which are made by man.

12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (NIV)

We will see face to face. Glory!

We know in part now and what we know shakes our world from time to time. Yet we have His truth – we will see Him face to face. And God loves us with an everlasting love. Oh, how that strengthens my faith and renews my hope!

Reverence. Godly fear. Grace. Peace. Faith. Hope. Love.
But the greatest of these is love.