Hebrews 12:25-29 says this, "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? At that time, His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, "Only once more will I shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removal 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."
OK, long passage but I have not been able to get it out of my head this week. Have you ever wondered why God allows your world to be rocked? I say allowed because the Bible also says that nothing evil comes from the Lord, but that does not mean that He does not allow it to happen. But why the heck would He want our worlds to be rocked? Why didn't I get into graduate school like I planned? Why did my plans bite the dust? Why did people I thought were permanent fixtures in my life up and walk away? For most of these questions I have to be honest...I have no clue. But that got me thinking...why did God allow Job to lose his family, his health, his possessions, his friends? Why did the Lord allow many of the disciples to be tortured and in some cases martyred? Why did He allow our good, Godly family friend to drop dead in His front yard a couple of months before his first child was to be born? I have no idea but it sure makes my problems seem minuscule.
However, this passage has gone a long way this week to soothe my heart and maybe not give me a definite answer but help me understand the Lord's purpose in allowing the storms in life to rage. Ready for the brilliant conclusion I have come to? He shakes our worlds so that when the dust settles we look around, take account of everything and see the things in our life that will never be shaken. Profound, right? Not really but a profound realization for me.
Maybe the Lord shook my life so that I would see the stock I was putting in my own plans when the Lord clearly says He directs our steps. Maybe I didn't get into grad school at Tech because a)I needed this time of rest and healing and b)there are people somewhere else that the Lord wants to use in my life and me in theirs. Maybe those friends drifted out because I was basing my identity in what they thought and not in the One who already bought and paid for my heart. Again, these are all maybes but I am finding I don't really need to know. I just know they were shaken out of my life for a reason and I see the beautiful things and people in my life that were not shaken and that I need to pour myself into. May this be an encouragement in the midst of your storm. As for me, I still don't understand but I know that He is good, and when everything else is shaken...my Rock still remains.
Resting in His goodness,
Kar
OK, long passage but I have not been able to get it out of my head this week. Have you ever wondered why God allows your world to be rocked? I say allowed because the Bible also says that nothing evil comes from the Lord, but that does not mean that He does not allow it to happen. But why the heck would He want our worlds to be rocked? Why didn't I get into graduate school like I planned? Why did my plans bite the dust? Why did people I thought were permanent fixtures in my life up and walk away? For most of these questions I have to be honest...I have no clue. But that got me thinking...why did God allow Job to lose his family, his health, his possessions, his friends? Why did the Lord allow many of the disciples to be tortured and in some cases martyred? Why did He allow our good, Godly family friend to drop dead in His front yard a couple of months before his first child was to be born? I have no idea but it sure makes my problems seem minuscule.
However, this passage has gone a long way this week to soothe my heart and maybe not give me a definite answer but help me understand the Lord's purpose in allowing the storms in life to rage. Ready for the brilliant conclusion I have come to? He shakes our worlds so that when the dust settles we look around, take account of everything and see the things in our life that will never be shaken. Profound, right? Not really but a profound realization for me.
Maybe the Lord shook my life so that I would see the stock I was putting in my own plans when the Lord clearly says He directs our steps. Maybe I didn't get into grad school at Tech because a)I needed this time of rest and healing and b)there are people somewhere else that the Lord wants to use in my life and me in theirs. Maybe those friends drifted out because I was basing my identity in what they thought and not in the One who already bought and paid for my heart. Again, these are all maybes but I am finding I don't really need to know. I just know they were shaken out of my life for a reason and I see the beautiful things and people in my life that were not shaken and that I need to pour myself into. May this be an encouragement in the midst of your storm. As for me, I still don't understand but I know that He is good, and when everything else is shaken...my Rock still remains.
Resting in His goodness,
Kar
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