“You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 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, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing 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.” Hebrews 12: 23-29 (NIV, Bible Gateway)

The passage above references Haggai 2:6-7, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while, I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations and the desired of all nations will come and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

Haggai encouraged those who had returned to the Promised Land from exile to rebuild the Temple. Scholars debate on whether the “desired” in the passage above refers to Jesus or wealth used to beautify the Temple (Ezra 6).

The point in both passages? The shaking that was coming—and a warning not to refuse God.

Have you been there? God asked you to do something—and you refused?

Ignored His instruction?

Delayed obedience?

Followed the to-do list instead of the King of your heart?

Yeah. Me too.

Yet, as I watch the news, I wonder if the shaking has started. And if it has, will what I have endure the shaking?

What will last? What will crumble?

Each of us has room to go deeper with God. As the shaking begins, what will you grip? What will be your security as the temporal things of this world shudder and shiver? Where will you invest? In the kingdom of the world? Or in the kingdom of heaven? Will your investments survive the shaking of the stock market?

Take inventory. Time. Talents. Resources. Where are they going? Where are you going?

Because a shaking is coming, and only God’s purposes will stand.

Questions:

When your life gets shaken up, what’s your default?

Who/what gets your best time?

Who/what benefits from your financial resources?

Who/what benefits from your gifts?

Will they stand or crumble?

Tweetables:

We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Click To Tweet

A shaking is coming. Click To Tweet

Will what I have endure the shaking? Click To Tweet

Only God’s purposes will stand. Click To Tweet