Things That Can Be Shaken

"While we look not at the things which are seen,

but at the things which are not seen;

for the things which are seen are temporal,

but the things which are not seen are eternal."

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NASB)

Translation: Sometimes it seems that everything goes wrong. Maybe the dishwasher breaks or the air conditioner goes out or the battery in your car just died. Well, it's really nothing to be sad about! Because the problems that we worry about are insignificant and not worth our despair. In this verse we are encouraged to view our life from an eternal perspective. Because thousands of people die every day who are not prepared for eternity. Now that's something to be sad about.

Things That Can Be Shaken
Dr. Charles Stanley - In Touch Ministries

Haggai 2:6-9

God has ways of shaking the world when He is up to something big. For instance, He literally caused the ground to quake when Jesus died on the cross and also when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. There was nothing coincidental about the seismic activity that accompanied those two events. They were none-too-subtle messages: Pay attention because important things are happening!

Today, the ground may not be moving, but God is certainly doing some shaking. Political alliances, financial systems, and ethical standards are all being allowed to wobble. We are seeing the flimsiness and decay of structures upon which we've based national pride and hope. Even personal lives are not immune to shock waves. Families are in crisis, and many marriages are buckling. Sadly, people have built lives on the weak cornerstones of human wisdom, goodness, and ingenuity. But there is only one secure foundation: Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11).

God always has a purpose for permitting upheaval in His ordered creation. Among other things, He is shaking the church out of its apathy and self-focus, reminding believers not to trust in the temporary structures of this world. Rather, we are to rest upon the safe and firm foundation provided by God's love, salvation, and kingdom here on earth.

As the Lord's ambassadors on earth--and the only ones standing on firm ground--we have a responsibility to offer real hope to those whose moorings have come loose. No job, government, or even religion can give a person long-term security. A relationship with the sovereign Lord Jesus Christ is the only lasting refuge.

Prepare the Way for the Risen Lord...