Unshaken through the Storm

Storms come.  Sometimes there are warnings, and we are able to prepare in advance.  Sometimes storms take us by surprise.  The same is true with the storms of life.

I remember learning this lesson as a young child in Sunday school. Our teacher taught us the song, "The Wise Man Built His House upon the Rock," and shared Jesus's words from Matthew 7:24-25, "Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." Before the age of ten, I knew that if I built my life on the Word of God, I could not be shaken. 

But life does have a way of shaking us, doesn't it?

My child-like faith was a pure and beautiful thing.  But then middle school hit.  Peer pressure and an identity crisis swirled like storms.  I scrambled for relationships like life rafts, only to discover those holding the other end of the rope weren't safe or steady themselves.  At the age of 18, I thought I found shelter in marriage; and while in some ways it was, in other ways I found myself shaken by new types of storms.

Innocence, at some point, must be replaced by experience.

I believe this is what Ephesians 4 speaks of when it says, "we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine" but rather "become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."  To reach maturity, our faith must be challenged.  We have to face the difficulties and weather the storms before we can know the value of God's faithfulness. 

This wall mural painted on my bathroom wall has become a daily reminder to me that God's faithfulness transcends every storm. Not only that, but there is beauty to be found within those storms. In order to see it, we have to let go of our fear. We have to learn to trust Him. It is true that "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). When you have experienced His faithfulness, time and time again, the wind and waves don't shake you as much.  You can rest securely in the fullness of Jesus's love for you.  You can see the beauty in all that He is doing.

A couple of years ago, I was going through an emotional storm, the magnitude of which I had never endured before.  From childhood, however, I knew where to turn - God's Word, the only sure foundation.  I discovered a Scripture that steadied me:

Hebrews 12:26-27 says, "...now He has promised saying, 'Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.' Now this 'yet once more,' indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken...that the things which cannot be shaken may remain."  

Prior to reading this, I couldn't understand why my faith and emotions were being pounded so violently. I finally understood that God was shaking everything I thought I knew in order that the things that would fail should fall apart.  This was an act of mercy!  It is not love to allow someone to build upon a foundation that will not last. In God's perfect love and foreknowledge, He knew that I had unknowingly placed my trust in certain things He had not ordained.  He knew these things would not stand the test, and His love would not allow me to continue to rely upon them. 

Why am I sharing this with you today?

Today, in my prayers for our country and the coronavirus crisis we are facing, the phrase from Hebrews 12 about being shaken came to mind.  When I searched for it, I found a similar reference in Haggai, which says:

"...My spirit remains among you; do not fear! For thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the Lord of hosts...The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former... And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts." (Haggai 2:5-9)

Now, it may be only a coincidence, but the very next verse mentions the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month which, when I looked at the Hebrew calendar, corresponds with the date that the earliest case of the coronavirus appeared.   To be honest, I don't know what to make of that, but it certainly caught my attention!

It cannot be denied that our world has been shaken.  Things we had previously taken for granted (educational services, job security, full grocery store shelves, travel & transportation, etc.) have all been disrupted.  These are things we tend to build our lives around.  Comforts we've considered foundational.  But are they spiritual necessities?

If one takes the time to read the surrounding verses in Haggai, we find that God was sending correction along with a promise to His people. He told them that they had been wrong to try to amass wealth for their own homes, while leaving the house of God in ruins. In other words, they had focused on gaining economic wealth instead of attaining spiritual health.  They had sought after things that would fade, instead of things that were eternal.

In His mercy, God was giving them a wake-up call.  He did not want them to continue to build upon that which would not last.  I think the same can be said for us!

Each of us should use this time to search our own hearts, to repent, to ask God to remove the things that can be shaken and help us build only upon that which will remain.  As you begin to do this, note the promises God gives through His prophet:

• "Yet now be strong...and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts" (Haggai 2:4)

• "My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!" (Haggai 2:5)

• "In this place I will give peace," says the Lord of hosts." (Haggai 2:9)

• "But from this day I will bless you." (Haggai 2:19)

Obedience and humility bring blessing.  If we will heed God's warning, trust that His heart towards us is good even when circumstances seem frightening, and place our faith in His faithfulness, He will make sure that we are unshaken through the storm. This storm, and every storm thereafter!  

Remember, Jesus had only to say the words, "'Peace, be still!' and the wind ceased and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:39).  He alone is our sure foundation.