Unshakeable

“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” -Psalm 125:1

Everything seems to be shaking right now. With the worldwide pandemic and the tumultuous U.S. election events ongoing, it seems like no part of our lives have been spared from the uncertainty of constant quaking. It appears this shaking will not even stop for Christmas. Our families, jobs, churches, businesses, schools and governments are all being impacted. The Seven Mountains of society are erupting like nothing I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. I’m not sure how you are handling all of this movement, but for me, I almost feel dizzy. With so much questionable information floating around, it’s hard to find the truth. Who is lying? Who is honest? What should I do about it? Can you relate to these questions? At this beautiful time of year, I like to enjoy all the favorites… gatherings, baking, music, shopping and so on. We can certainly still enjoy our festivities to an extent, but I think we’d be naive if we didn’t admit our Christmas time is being impacted by these realities that are out of our control. How do we stand firm in such a dramatic time of unrest? How do we dig deep into God’s peace and stand immovable?

First off, it’s important for us to realize there is purpose in the shaking. God is not responsible for the pandemic or the chaos in the U.S. elections, but he is using these crazy times to bring his good and glorious kingdom to the earth. When God’s kingdom of light clashes with the kingdom of darkness, great friction occurs that we often see play out around us. When the Spirit of God moves and speaks, all that is out of alignment with him and his purposes shakes wildly. Hebrews 12:26-29 says, “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.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’ ” As this scripture so aptly points out, God brings a shaking to the heavenly realms and the earth so that what is able to be shaken can be removed. When this process is complete, what is firm and unshakeable will remain. All the good things of God in our lives will stand the test. That’s really what all this shaking is about… we are being tested, refined and purified (Zechariah 13:9). The process is so painful and unpleasant, but the result will be worth the price we are paying. The Apostle Peter affirmed this beautiful promise when he wrote, “The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10). Many of us are feeling tired, weary and worn out from the trials this year has brought, but God promises to restore us after our testing is complete. If we choose not to give up, we will begin to see the purpose behind the shaking and become stronger than ever.

The time we are in parallels in many ways to the time in Israelite history when Moses sent out the 12 spies to check out their promised land and report their findings (Numbers 13-14). Only two men out of the 12, Joshua and Caleb, shared a good report. The other ten men spread fear among the people about the giants they saw. Caleb and Joshua stood in faith, believing they could defeat the giants and possess their promised land. Unfortunately, the Israelite people listened to the fearmongering of the ten spies and never entered the promised land as a result. Only Joshua and Caleb were able to enter and take the land 40 years later. Right now, there are some people who are like the ten spies… spreading a report of fear and hopelessness. They seem to make up the majority in the media. There are only a few leaders out there who are sharing the hope of Jesus and his kingdom. They see the giants in the land, but they know we are well able to conquer them. Who will you believe? Do not be like the Israelites who became afraid and gave up. They were easily shaken by what they saw and heard. Let’s instead be like the courageous and unshakeable two who fought and defeated the giants, thus receiving their promised land from God. All of us have a “promised land” that God wants to give us. What is your promised land? It could be a job, family reconciliation, a ministry, a financial breakthrough, a healing miracle, actual land, a house or whatever God has promised you. What do you dream of? If God has not promised you something yet, ask him to! He will make a good promise to you.

How do we choose to live courageously as Joshua and Caleb did? What does that look like for our lives right now? Here are some practical steps we can take to be unshakeable:

1. Reject fear! Receive God’s peace. (2 Timothy 1:7)
2. Read the Word of God (the Bible). It’s food for your soul and spirit. (1 Peter 2:2)
3. Declare the truth in faith. Claim your promises no matter how impossible they may seem!
4. Worship! Sing, dance and praise God! You can do this at home alone and with others. (Psalm 100:1-2)
5. Pray. Talk to Jesus about what you’re going through and “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Ask him questions and listen for his answers.
6. After you have done everything you can do, stand firm in faith and trust in the Lord always (Ephesians 6:13 and Proverbs 3:5-6).
7. Be ready for action! When Jesus says go, you GO! (1 Peter 1:13)

Of course, life has no magic formula and walking with Jesus is an unpredictable adventure. These steps are not meant to be religiously followed. They will hopefully stand as helpful reminders to you as you learn to stand firm in faith. I would love for every one of you to receive every good blessing and promise that God has promised to you. Let’s choose to stand firm in faith in the midst of the greatest shaking of our lifetime and come out strong and steadfast on the other side. Let’s run like the wind after our promised land and take out every gnarly giant that threatens to stop us. This is not our hour of defeat, but this is rather the beginning of our season of victory! Allow hope to rise in your heart. Embrace a childlike faith to see God do the impossible. Our God knows how to make a way where there is no way. I pray you will catch your second wind this month and run your race with a renewed sense of purpose and strength. Put your trust fully in Jesus. Psalm 125:1 says, “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” We will not give in to fear. We are the Unshakeables!