God shakes His children ∙

God shakes His children ∙

This phrase, “Yet once more,” means that all of creation will be shaken and removed so that only unshakable things will remain. – Hebrews 12:27

Hebrews 12:25-29

 25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!

 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”

 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

 28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

 29 For our God is a devouring fire.

The Richter scale, developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter, ranges from 1 to 10. It indicates the intensity of an earthquake. Most earthquakes have magnitudes between 1 and 5 and are quite minor. Earthquakes with magnitudes 5.0–5.9 are moderate, 6.0–6.9 are strong with moderate damage in populated areas, 7.0–7.9 are major with severe damage over large areas, loss of life, and 8.0 and higher are considered great, with severe destruction and loss of life over large areas. The most powerful earthquake ever recorded with a magnitude of 8.4 on the Richter scale occurred on May 22, 1960, in Valdivia, Chile.

Earthquakes have been around since the beginning of history. They are getting more frequent and violent in our days.

What is now called the Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence began on July 5, 2019. Ridgecrest, California, was struck with a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. The next day July 6, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurred with over 1000 aftershocks. Ridgecrest is in the middle of nowhere, also known as the Mojave Desert, 123 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The amount of destruction was small due to the low population density. Some buildings collapsed. Several water line and gas line breaks resulted in power outages and fires.

In California, shaking from earthquakes is a way of life. In the Scriptures, whenever the Father is literally present on earth, there is often shaking. The earth and even the mountains often tremble.

Exodus 19:18 Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.

Psalms 68:8 The earth quaked; lowercase that heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

The Father wants to draw us close to Him and transform us from the inside out. One of the methods He uses is “shaking.” He has a way of shaking what we hold on to until we finally let go. It is much better to be drawn by the desire for the joys of a close relationship with the Father than driven. The Father is persistent and will continue to shake. It is better to release sooner than later. He has a way of shaking the children of the King until we let go.

Shaking has a way of changing things. Older things are shaken loose and replaced by newer ones. Things that are secure and immovable withstand the trembling going on about them. Shaking is a part of the refining process.

REFLECT & PRAY

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose!” (Jim Elliot).

Father I have certainly felt your grip upon me. It is firm but gentle. I know that You seek only my best. You are at work to conform me into the image of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

INSIGHT

With the fall of Adam and Eve, Earth became a fallen world. One day everything will change. Better times are coming. The author of Hebrews quotes Haggai 2:6. It prophesies regarding the time in the future when the Lord will return and fill His house with the glory of His presence. The Father shook the earth at Mount Sinai, and in the future, He will shake both the earth and the heavens, leading to a time of judgment and vindication. The prophets spoke of the kingdom of God, which will one day become a reality on planet Earth. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will peacefully rule and reign for a thousand years (Revelation 20).  

Haggai 2:6-9

 6 For this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while, I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land.

 7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

 9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place, I will bring peace. I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!

The shaking will increase as we draw ever closer to the time of the Second Coming. What the Father has predicted, He will surely bring to pass. Everything in the world, everything made, belongs to the Father. He is in control.

The Father will continue to shake until all that can be shaken and removed is. What remains will be unshakable. As the Father actively shakes the world and those who are children of the King, we can be confident and secure. His ultimate goal is a complete transformation.

Envision for a moment, Michelangelo carefully chipping away the large, solid piece of marble until all that is left is the magnificent statue of David. He removed what was necessary to reveal what only his genius could see locked away within the marble.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Others may be frightened by the upheavals, but it is our privilege

Others may be frightened by the upheavals, but it is our privilege to walk confidently in the light with our Father, buoyed up and invigorated by His grace and strength.

to walk confidently in the light with our Father, buoyed up and invigorated by His grace and strength.

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© Dr. H 2023