Chapter 11
Chapter 11
THINGS THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN
"And this word, Yet once more, signifietb the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain"—Hebrews 12:27.
After all that we have considered of the depth of the love and care of God, those who do not understand His ways may get the wrong impression.
They may assume that no trials or difficulties could ever come into the lives of His children. But often, love itself must bring the hard times.
'Tor whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons" (Hebrews 12:6-8).
If love sees those it loves going wrong, it must, because of love, do what it can to save them. The
love that fails to do this is only selfish. Likewise, when the God of love sees His children resting their souls on things that can be shaken, He must remove those things from their lives. Then they will be driven to rest only on the things that cannot be shaken. This process of removal is sometimes very hard.
Everlasting Foundations If our souls are to rest in peace and comfort, it can only be on unshakable foundations.
It is no more possible for the soul to be comfortable when it is trying to rest on things that can be shaken than it is for the body to rest comfortably in a shaking bed.
For foundations to be reliable, they must always be unshakable. A house built on the sand may look fine in clear and sunny weather. But when storms arise and the winds blow and floods come, that house will fall. On the contrary, the house built on the rock is able to withstand all the stress of the storm and remains unshaken through wind and floods, for it is founded on the rock. (See Matthew
7:24-27.) It is very possible in the Christian life to build one's spiritual house on insecure foundations.
When storms beat upon it, the ruin of that house will be great. Many religious experiences seem genuine when all goes well in life. But when trials
come, faith totters and falls because its foundations are insecure.
It is, therefore, of vital importance to see to it that our spiritual life is built upon things that cannot be shaken.
Of course, the immediate thought that will come to every mind is that our faith must be built upon the rock, Christ Jesus. This is certainly true.
But we need to learn what is really meant by that expression. It is one of those religious phrases that is often used with no definite or real meaning attached to it.
Traditionally, we believe that Christ is the only Rock upon which to build. But, perhaps unconsciously, we believe that many other things must be added to Christ. We think that the right feelings must be added or the right doctrines or dogmas or whatever else seems to measure up to the necessary degree of security.
If we were perfectly honest with ourselves, we would often find that we depend almost completely upon these additions of our own. Christ Himself, as our Rock of dependence, becomes of secondary importance.
When we talk of building upon the Rock Christ Jesus, we should realize that the Lord is enough for our salvation. Without any additions of our own, the Lord Himself, as He is in His own character, our Creator and Redeemer, is our all-sufficient portion.
The Necessity Of Shaking The ^'foundation of God standeth sure," and it is
the only foundation that does. Therefore, we need to be shaken oflF of every other foundation in order that we may be forced to rest on the foundation of God alone. This explains the necessity for those shakings through which so many Christians pass.
The Lord sees that we are building our spiritual houses on iBimsy foundations which will not be able to withstand the storms of life. In tenderest love, He shakes our earth and our heaven until all that can be shaken is removed, and only those things which cannot be shaken are left behind.
Paul tells us that the things that are shaken are the "things that are made." These are things manufactured by our own eififorts, feelings that we work up, doctrines that we invent, and good works that we perform. It is not that these are bad things in themselves.
It is only when the soul begins to rest on them instead of upon the Lord that He is compelled to shake us from them. This shaking applies not to the earth only, but also to heaven. It is possible to have '^things that are made" even in religious matters.
Much of the so-called religiousness of many Christians consists of these ** things that are made."
Perhaps the great overturnings and tossings in matters of faith which so distress Christians may be the necessary shaking of the ''things that are made." Then, only that which cannot be shaken may remain.
There are times in our Christian lives when our faith seems to be as settled and immoveable as the
roots of the everlasting mountains. But then comes an upheaval, and all our foundations are shaken and thrown down. We are ready to despair and question whether we can be Christians at all.
Sometimes it is an ujpheaval in our outward circumstances, and sometimes it is in our inward experiences.
If people have rested on their good works and their faithful service, the Lord is often obliged to take away all power or opportunity for work. The soul is driven from its false resting place and forced to rest in the Lord alone.
Sometimes the dependence is upon good feelings or pious emotions. The soul has to be deprived of these before it can learn to depend only upon God. Sometimes the believer depends upon what he believes to be sound doctrine. He feels that he is occupying an invulnerable position because his views are so correct and his doctrines are so orthodox. Then the Lord is obliged to shake his doctrines and to plunge him into confusion and darkness about his views. Then, that which looks like certain spiritual ruin and defeat can be turned into the most triumphant victory by the Lord.
The upheaval may come in our outward circumstances. Everything seems so firmly established in prosperity that no dream of disaster disturbs us.
Our reputation is assured, our work has prospered, our efforts have all been successful beyond our hopes, and our soul is at ease. The need for God is in danger of becoming far oflf and vague.
Then the Lord is obliged to put an end to it all.
Our prosperity crumbles around us like a house built on the sand. We are tempted to think He is angry with us. But in truth, it is not anger, but tenderest love. His love compels Him to take away the outward prosperity that is keeping our souls from entering into the interior spiritual Kingdom of which we long to be part.
**Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off" from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation"
(Habakkuk 3:17-18).
Paul declared, **I count all things but loss.
. .that I may win Christ"
(Philippians 3:8).
When we learn to say the same, the peace and joy that the gospel promises becomes ours.
Sweeping Away False Refuges **What iniquity," asks the Lord of the children of Israel, **have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity.
. .For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" 0eremiah 2:5,13).
Like the Israelites, we too forsake the fountain of living waters and try to dig out for ourselves cisterns of our own devising. We seek to cool our
thirst with our own experiences or our own activities. Then we wonder why we still thirst. To save us from perishing for lack of water, the Lord destroys our broken cisterns. He does it only so can we be forced to drink from the fountain of living waters.
We are told that if we trust in vanity, vanity will be our reward.
It is like crossing a dangerous swamp abounding in quicksand, where every step is dangerous. Firm looking mounds of earth will cause you to sink in the mire and water concealed below if you trust their deceptive appearances.
This is what it means to ** trust in vanity." As you discover the rottenness of your false dependences, you will learn to trust in that which is safe and permanent.
'*I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord" (Psalm 40:1-3).
STveeping Aw^ay False Refuges The prophet Isaiah lamented the sins of his people. He said, '*We have made lies our refuge, and under falsehoods have we hid ourselves"
(Isaiah 28:15). The Lord had declared, 'The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place" (Isaiah 28:17).
It might look as though it was God's wrath that did this. Many frightened Christians think that it is. But His wrath is only against the refuges of lies, not against us. Love could do no less than destroy these refuges in order that we may be delivered.
The soul is continually tempted to sit down on some false idea as though it was a final resting place. God is continually obliged to remove all such false resting places as one would remove the seat of a chair. At last, the soul will settle down upon the only true rest in God. This removal is only another word for shakings and emptyings.
It is always a painful process and often a most discouraging one. No sooner do we find an experience or a doctrine in which we think we may surely rest, than a great shaking comes. We are forced out again. This process continues until all that can be shaken is removed, and only those things which cannot be shaken remain.
Often the answer to our most fervent prayers for deliverance comes in a form that seems to shake the foundations of our being. Through this shaking, the deliverance for which we prayed is accomplished. Through it all, we will be brought forth into the secure place for which we long.
• Detached From The World The old Bible teachers used to lecture on what they called detachment. This referred to cutting the soul Ibose from all that could hold it back from God. This need for detachment is the reason
for many of our shakings. We cannot follow the Lord fully as long as we are tied tightly to anything else.
It would be like a boat trying to sail out into the boundless ocean while it is tied fast to the shore.
If we want to reach the ''city which hath foundations" spoken of in Hebrews 1 1 , we must go out like Abraham from all other cities. We must be detached from every earthly tie.
Everything in Abraham's life that could be shaken was shaken.
He was emptied from vessel to vessel, here today and gone tomorrow.
All his resting places were disturbed, and no settlement or comfort could be found anywhere.
We, like Abraham, are looking for '*a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). We too will need to be emptied from vessel to vessel. Often, we do not realize this. When the shakings come, we are in despair and think we will never reach that city.
Actually, it is these very shakings that make it possible for us to reach it.
The psalmist had learned this divine principle.
After all the shakings of his eventful life, he cried, *'My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God"
(Psalm 62:5-7). At last God was everything to him; and then he found that God was enough.
It is the same with us. Everything in our lives and experience may be shaken, and only that which cannot be shaken remains. We are brought to see that God only is our rock and our foundation. We learn to have our expectation from Him alone.
* Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
. .God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early" (Psalm 46:2-3).
**Shall not be moved"—what an inspiring declaration! We are so easily moved by the things of earth. Can we possibly arrive at a place where nothing can upset our temper or disturb our calm?
Yes, we can.
The apostle Paul knew the place of perfect peace. When he was on his way to Jerusalem, he knew that bonds and afflictions awaited him.
In spite of this, he could say triumphantly, **But none of these things move me" (Acts 20:24).
Everything in Paul's life and experience that could be shaken had been shaken. He no longer counted his life or any of life's possessions as dear to him.
If we let God have His way with us, we will come to the same place. Neither the worries of the little things of life, nor its great and heavy trials can move us from the peace that passes all
understanding. This is the benefit of those who have learned to rest only on God.
In that wonderful Revelation made to John on the Isle of Patmost the Spirit tells the churches what awaits those who overcome.
**Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out" (Revelation
3:12). To be as unmoveable as a pillar in the house of our God would cause one to gladly endure all the shakings necessary to bring us there!
* 'Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29). A great many people are afraid of the consuming fire of God. That is only because they do not understand what it is. The fire of God's love must consume everything that can harm His people. If our hearts are set on being what the love of God would have us to be, His fire is something we will not be afraid of, but warmly welcome instead.
Refined Like Silver The consuming fire of God's love will not cease to bum until it has refined us as silver is refined.
''And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall.
. purge them as gold and silver, that they may oflFer unto the Lord an oflFering in righteousness"
(Malachi 3:3).
If we submit to this purifying process, we will become pleasant to the
Lord. All nations shall call us blessed, **for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts"
(Malachi 312).
To be pleasant and delightsome to the Lord may seem impossible when we look at our shortcomings and unwonhiness. But when we think of this lovely consuming fire of God's love, we can be of good cheer and take courage. He will not fail or be discouraged until all our dross is burned up, and we come forth in His likeness.
Our souls long for the Kingdom which cannot be moved. God will, if we let Him, shake everything in our lives that can be shaken. He will push us oflF of every false rest. Finally, only that which cannot be shaken will remain.
One of the most impressive sermons I ever heard was preached by a sweet old Quaker lady.
She rose in the stillness of the meeting and said, * 'Yesterday sister Tabitha broke all to pieces my best china teapot, but the Lord, whom I trust, kept my soul in perfect peace, and enabled me not to utter a single word of reproach."
That was all; the sermon was ended. But into every heart there entered a sense of what it would mean to be kept in the immoveable Kingdom of the love of God.
This Kingdom may be our home. We must submit to the shakings of God and learn to rest only and always on Him.
May He hasten the day for each one of us!