TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. (Psalm 16:8-9 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• So… an earthquake in North Carolina. That doesn’t happen often. But yesterday, as I was finalizing My Grace-Full Life, I felt the shaking. I sat here, confused, and uncertain about what was going on. The shaking only lasted about 15 seconds, but it was so surreal to me that it felt longer. It all stopped before it finally registered in my mind that we had just had an earthquake—again, these aren’t common to my home state. I ran out to the back porch to check on my dog, who I had just let out a few minutes earlier (she was fine). I called my mom to check on her and my son. They had both slept through it, and in her sleepiness, she thought I was playing a joke on her and didn’t believe me at first. The earthquake woke my husband, who later responded to his aunt on Facebook, “[We were] A little shaken. No pun intended.”
I have only experienced this one other time, about 13ish years ago, and it was even shorter than what we had yesterday. As my local Facebook friends all compared notes, I had the same thought I always have when I think of earthquakes—there is no way I could live on the west coast where they are more prevalent. That is the strangest feeling, and I know that was a blip compared to what they can be… Of course, my west coast friends feel the same about our side of the continent, where we have tornados and hurricanes. But, as I’ve pointed out, at least we have some warning for those!
Today, let’s talk about being shaken (I know—an obvious topic direction, but still an important one.)
What shakes you? What leaves you rattled? We generally describe being shaken or rattled in a bad way—scary news. A close call. That momentary adrenaline rush that leaves us catching our breath.
Let’s read Psalm 16:8-9. It says, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” We have the promise of God to be our protector, and when we trust in Him, indeed, we can’t be shaken. The world may try to rattle us, but the foundation of God’s might and power cannot be undone. He is our strong and mighty fortress (Psalm 18:2).
While God offers us His security, and is indeed, our Rock, that doesn’t mean He won’t allow us to be shaken for our own good and to get us back on track. Let me give you an example. When my husband and I were dating and living in different states, there were a few times I drove to Ohio late at night and would get so sleepy while driving. One night, I got pulled for weaving. It was about 2 in the morning, and I was exhausted. But those blue lights shook me. And by shaking me, they protected me. They gave me the adrenaline rush I needed to stay alert for the last 30 miles of the trip, and thankfully, the police officer didn’t give me a ticket. He told me to be safe and get some coffee. (That sound you just heard is my mother’s outrage because she just heard this story for the first time… sorry, Mom! I love you, and I’m fine!)
We see God use mighty acts to get people to turn to Him and rely on Him. He used plagues in Egypt to shake His chosen people from captivity. He allowed His people to be shaken from their disobedience by allowing them to be taken captive for 75 years in Babylon. He used a blinding light to shake Paul and get him pointed in a new direction. He has shown time and again that He will do what He needs to do to get our attention and if it means shaking us to get us on track, we can trust His rock solid love that He’s doing it for a reason, in order to protect us and draw us closer to Him.
No matter what shakes us — the good and the bad — we have this truth, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Today, as you pray, thank God for being your unshakable Rock. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you trust God when the world tries to rattle you, and to even trust God when He shakes you loose from the things that may be keeping you from a closer relationship with Him.
SHARING ••• My Grace-Full Life is written by Denise Heidel. You are welcome to share anything I write, but please credit my writing and graphics accordingly. Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. Subscribe through my website to have My Grace-Full Life delivered to your email. You can unsubscribe at any time. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the ESV translation.
