Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” (Psalm 62:1-2 NIV)
Next weekend our church is hosting a two-day conference which will draw between 200-300 women from a variety of places, denominations, and ethnicities. Our theme for this year is “Unshakeable” and I have been thinking about what is “shakeable” and what is “unshakeable.” The tallest and strongest tree, the largest mountain, the most gigantic structure made by mankind can all be shaken if enough force is applied (think strong earthquake or nasty hurricane or tornado).
In this day and age it seems like all the systems of the world are shaking – political, educational, health and medical, communities, law and justice, families, and even the Church. None of these look the same they did 20, or 10, or 5 or even 3 years ago. All are shaking with changes – a few that improve life, but many that do not. In addition to all the worldly shaking, any of our individual lives can have “shaking” like illness, pain, suffering, caring for a loved one, grief, violence, retirement, job change, relocation, changes in children’s lives, and a whole host of other things. Some of these changes can be reasonably “ok,” but others feel like the figurative ground beneath our feet is shaking.
So, how do we live as unshakeable people in times of great shaking?
We lean hard into our faith in the unshakeable God.
“He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 62:6 ESV)
“I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8 NIV)
Over and over in the Bible God is characterized as our Rock, Fortress, Stronghold, Deliverer, Shield, and Refuge. He is our Protector, Provider, and Loving Shepherd. We are told that the Church is built so that the power of evil will not be able to defeat, overpower, conquer, or prevail over it. (Matthew 16:18) If you and I are a part of Christ’s Church, then the power of evil – or of very shakeable things – will not ultimately overwhelm or defeat us. We are told to, “Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail).” (Psalm 55:22 AMP) When we trust in God, the shakings around us will not cause us to fail. We are promised that if we keep our covenant with God, he will not take his Spirit from us, his Word will always be on our lips and those of our descendants, and that Word will never, ever fail us.
So, today, even knowing that much in the world is shaking, let us trust our good God – our Refuge, Strength, Ever-Present Help in Time of Trouble, our Rock and our Redeemer – to walk us through these shakings. Our God is a consuming fire whose Kingdom cannot be shaken, so let us be thankful and worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
Unshakeable God,
You are our rock, refuge, shield, stronghold, and deliverer whose Word endures forever. Thank you for the ways in which you provide an unshakeable foundation for our lives, even when the world around us feels so unstable. Thank you that, as a part of your universal Church, our lives have been built on the Rock of Jesus Christ, our Chief Cornerstone, and all the efforts of the evil one will not prevail against us. Thank you that our rest, our protection, and our salvation come from our trust in you, O Lord. You and you alone can deliver us from the chaos of this world when we dwell in you. Thank you for your sustaining presence in our lives. Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, we worship you with reverence and awe, for you are a consuming fire. Amen and Amen.
“My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.” (2 Samuel 22:3 ESV)
“As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.” (Isaiah 59:21 NIV)
“The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8 NIV)
“You have shaken the land and torn it open;
mend its fractures, for it is quaking.
You have shown your people desperate times;
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner
to be unfurled against the bow.
Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.” (Psalm 60:2-5 NIV)
“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.'” (Hebrews 12:28-29 NIV)
“On this rock I will build my church, and the ·power of death [gates of Hades/the underworld] will not be able to defeat [overpower; conquer; prevail against] it.” (Matthew 16:18 EXB)
“As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:47-48 NIV)
When I’m walkin’ through the valley, Your presence is around me
‘Cause nothin’ stands between me and my God
And the fear that was my prison is no longer where I’m livin’
‘Cause nothin’ stands between me and my God
There’s no place I go that He is not
Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom
We’ll be dancin’ through the darkness ’cause we believe it
Every stronghold has to break at the name of Jesus
Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom (oh-oh, oh-oh)
When the ground below is shakin’, my joy cannot be taken
‘Cause nothin’ stands between me and my God
So I’m lookin’ to Jesus through a veil that’s torn to pieces
‘Cause nothin’ stands between me and my God, no
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom
We’ll be dancin’ through the darkness ’cause we believe it
Every stronghold has to break at the name of Jesus
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (oh-oh, oh-oh)
Watch the lies break off
Watch the enemy flee
Watch the walls come crumbling down
When the people of God sing (when the people of God sing)
Hear the heavenly roar
Of every heart set free
Hear the chains of shame hit the ground
When the people of God sing (when the people of God sing, oh-oh-oh)
“There Is Freedom” by Bryan Fowler | Ethan Hulse | Josh Baldwin
- © 2021 Glory Ghost Publishing (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing)
- Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
- Hulse House Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
- RELWOF (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
- So Essential Tunes (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
- Bethel Music Publishing