Friday 6 April, 2018

25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Most of us don’t like to be shaken. When I was a teenager I was in a major earthquake in Mexico City, and I can still remember the hotel chandeliers swinging and hitting the ceiling. It was terrifying!

Sometimes God has metaphorically shaken things up in my life. Of course I did not like it at the time, but it actually made me sit up and take notice of things that needed to change in me. So when it is God who is doing the shaking, it can be understood as a good thing.

And then there’s the things that are unshakeable. God’s love, His plans for us, and our eternal future with Him. This is all so incredibly comforting in an uncertain world – that when I hold on to these things, I cannot be shaken.

I love how the Message version puts this:
“Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire!”

Today I am thankful, brimming with worship and deeply reverent before God as He shakes the things that need to be shaken.

Written by Shelley Witt