A Season of Shaking?

For many believers, when they experience hardships or face hurdles during the course of their lives, their initial and immediate impulse is to blame the adversary. It’s the devil!

But, does not scripture suggest that more often than not, it is the Lord who allows us to face these challenges, for He has promised to refine us as silver and gold is refined. He has covenanted in Messiah’s shed blood to present us spotless and blameless in the day of His coming.

The process involved in refining silver and gold involves the addition of specific chemicals and heat. The dross then rises to the surface where it can be skimmed off and what remains is a high percentage of the pure metal. This I want to suggest is par for the course of our own lives. To expect otherwise is wishful thinking and is not taught in scripture.

In fact, in the parable of the vineyard in John 15, we read:

John 15:1-5

1          "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

2          "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every  branch that  bears fruit He prunes, that it  may bear more fruit.

4          "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it  bides in the vine, neither can you, unless  you abide in Me.

5          "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him,  much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Notice two things:

1) bearing fruit is the product not so much of our efforts but rather, of  abiding in Him. Abiding is the sure guarantee of fruitfulness.

2) even if our lives are fruitful, we will face further pruning in order that we might become even more fruitful.

Rest assured, we will be pruned! We tend to view this world as the goal and the prize of our lives, but this is not a kingdom perspective. HaShem has allowed us to live for three score and ten years in order to prepare us to reign with Him in eternity. Heaven is the goal and reward! And so HaShem promises a season of refining in order to prepare us to reign with Him in glory!

Zech 13:9  

 I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and  test them as gold is tested. They will   call on My name, and I will answer them.  I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say,  LORD is my God.'"

HaShem promised through the prophet Haggai that we can anticipate a great shaking in the months and years that lie ahead:

Hag 2:6-9

6  "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;

7  '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.

8   'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts.

9  'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the LORD of hosts."

Even before it was constructed, David foresaw that Solomon’s Temple would be splendid, dripping in silver and gold and precious jewels:

1 Chr 22:5

5          Now David said, "Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it." So David made abundant preparations before his death.

But, the promise of Haggai 2 is the glory of the latter house made up of living stones with Yeshua as the chief and corner stone, will be far more glorious - 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the forme’ (Hag 2:9). The magnificence of Solomon’s Temple will pale to insignificance as compared to this Temple that HaShem is going to build in ‘acharit ha’aymim’ – in the latter days!

And, just in case we still think that we can avoid G-d’s processes, the writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us that this shaking will begin with us:

Heb 12:25-29

25    See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away  from Him who speaks from heaven,

26   whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven."

27   Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28   Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

29  For our God is a consuming fire.

1 Peter 4:17  -  For the time has come for the judgment to begin. It begins with the household of  God; and if it starts with us, what will the outcome be for those who are disobeying  God’s Good News?  

The most famous seasons of pruning recorded in scripture of course happened in the lives of Avraham (Genesis 22), Job (the whole book) and Yeshua (in the desert, Mattityahu 4). And, if it was a pivotal aspect of Messiah’s life on earth, should we not anticipate that we too will have to face the shakings and trials? In Revelation 2–3, it is  those who overcome, who pass the test and receive their reward. You will sit on My Throne with me! What a promise! But, to those who endure and overcome by the power of the Spirit!

And, just in case you feel like throwing in the towel, be encouraged for G-d is for us and not against us:

1 Cor 10:13

¹³      No temptation (or testing) has seized you beyond what people normally   experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be  tempted beyond  what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide  the  way out, so that you will be able to endure.

And so, the sages could say: "To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did".

When God takes something from your grasp, He is not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."