The Bible is full of stories where God moved heaven and earth to bring about His will in lives. He will stop at nothing to accomplish His plan for a life that is willing to follow Him.
If we’ll correspond with Him, God will give us the kind of faith that Hebrews chapter 11 speaks of.
I have to admit, in my unrenewed and unregenerated mind, I was really afraid of believing that it was God working in my life when my life appeared to be falling apart.
For so many years, I thought God was totally against me. I thought He was trying to destroy me through all of the seeming out of control, negative circumstances that were occurring in my life. At the time, I didn’t realize He was actually tearing down my natural habit and tendency to depend on anything other than Him alone – The Refiner’s fire. He was on a mission and I could do nothing to stop Him. I’m so glad He had – and is still having – His way with me.
The Refiner’s Fire
For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:29
So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:7
It’s a strange and awesome thing to witness: Those who do not know God will freak out when God shakes those things that can be shaken. Those who do know Him become more bold at the shaking.
men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Luke 21:26
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked (those who do not know Christ, The Prince of Peace).
Psalm 91:7-8
They do not know nor do they understand (the unsaved and those who do not trust in God); They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
Psalm 82:5
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12
Fear is shakable. Anything that can scare us is shakable. This is why God allows shaking. It cleanses us from fear, from the possibility of encountering fear (torment) on any level in the future.
God doesn’t entertain or appease fear. If at all possible (in those who are willing to let Him do so), He eradicates fear. He replaces fear with His immovable, unshakable perfect love that is so different and much more powerful than our shortsighted, and limited human love. After all, His perfect love is the only thing in all creation that can remove (that can cast out) all fear.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18
I woke up this morning (1-4-20) with the word “shakable” in mind. I asked the Lord what He was saying by bringing that word to mind. Here are some thoughts that followed…
We don’t like pure gold unless we can wear it while it pumps up our pride. We don’t like the idea of the refiner’s fire that produces the pure gold of God’s character in our lives. God’s gold – that’s clothed in the strength of His humility – isn’t worn or flaunted like worldly gold.
I don’t know anyone who gets excited about earthquakes. When God begins His work in our lives, it can feel as unnerving as an earthquake. Unlike the temporary shaking of an actual earthquake, His work doesn’t stop. He keeps shaking us to bring about His glory, His pure gold in us.
God doesn’t stabilize our lives like we think He should, like we think He would. And when He begins His unshakable work in us, we often get offended and choose to leave Him, to leave Christianity.
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10
Shakable – For the most part, the world is used to depending on everything but God alone not truly realizing that God alone is unshakable.
I think a lot of people thought that God would give them all the money they need, a good job, the right spouse, nice cars, house, family and friends and that by doing so He was making their lives unshakable. Out of His love for mankind, God will shake everything (your reputation, your resume, and everything else) until all that’s left in us is Him, The Unshakable. Feel like life is being shaken?
Shaking either makes us mad at God while being tempted to leave Him, or it causes (motivates, directs, points) us to follow Him through the shaking while we let Him do His loving, stabilizing work in our lives.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of he wicked (those who trust in everything other than God), when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
Proverbs 3:25-26
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you (to make us unshakable) will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
For those who trust God at all costs, those who know Him Who is unshakable will become bold when the earth is shaken in the end times as the following verse can indicate.
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:31
God bless,
Mark