Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. HEBREWS 12:26
What is God doing when He shakes the things that are familiar in our lives? He shakes the foundations so that “the things that cannot be shaken may remain” (12:27).
Derek Kidner says, “The collapse of what is built on sand may be distressing; it can also be a beginning.” God shakes what is built on sand so that it might be rebuilt on a better foundation.
Job was a righteous man and God had blessed him in many ways, but then one day the whole infrastructure of his life was hit by multiple disasters. Job’s flocks and herds were plundered by raiders. His home was destroyed by a mighty wind, and his children, who were inside, died.
Suddenly all the good gifts on which we naturally depend were taken away—home, family, and business. It was all gone. Job’s wife said, “You’re a righteous man, but God has it in for us. What’s the use of faith and a righteous life? Curse God and die!” (see Job 2:9)
Job heard fear, frustration, and despair in his wife, but he took refuge in God: “When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold” (Job 23:10). This man’s testimony reverberated in heaven and in hell, and even today, it brings strength to believers around the world.
Peter must have had this in mind when he said: “Your faith is going to be tested with trials. When that happens it’s like gold being refined in the fire. Your faith will be proved genuine and it will result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (see 1 Pet. 1:6-7).
Where do you see God’s hand in your testing right now?
Written by Colin Smith
Read by Sue McLeish
