BY PASTOR T. O. BANSO
Psalm 16:8 says, âI know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside meâ (NLT). The NKJV renders the phrase âI will not be shakenâ as âI shall not be moved.â The Hebrew word translated shaken or moved is mowt, and it means to totter, to shake, to slip. To be shaken also means to waver, to fall.
Life and the devil throw many things at human beings to shake each of us but God doesnât want His children to be shaken by anything. But if you live your life the way those who live their lives in disobedience to God live, if you subscribe to their values, youâll be shaken the same way theyâre shaken and the same way theyâll still be shaken.
No shaking does not mean a life free from troubles or challenges. It simply means that you have a positive attitude towards them. The three Hebrews were thrown into the furnace of fire (Dan 3:8-25), Paul and Silas were thrown into prison (Acts 16:16-25) as well as Peter and John (Acts 4:1-21) but they all had a no-shaking mentality. What must you do to develop a no-shaking lifestyle?
How to cultivate a no-shaking attitude
1. Know that God is in charge of world affairs and is in control of your life. Itâs true that Adam and Eve handed over this earth to the devil when they sinned but God hasnât renounced ownership. This earth belongs to God and God is in charge. 1 Cor 10:26 says the earth is the LORDâs and everything in it. The devil can only do as much as God permits him. He couldnât afflict Job beyond the limit God permitted (Job 2:6). The devil is not omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, only God is. The Most High still rules in the kingdom of men (Dan 4:32). The devil is not Godâs rival; he is not his match or equal. The devil is just Godâs enemy!
The devil will try to intimidate you and exploit your imagination to show you pictures of what heâll do but itâs just a mind game. The devil is only engaging in what security agencies call âshow of forceâ â an open demonstration of their capability or readiness to act if necessary. But most of what the devil is showing you or telling you, he canât do and wonât do. If the devil has done all he has shown you or told you heâll do to you in life, you wonât be alive today! Knowing God is in charge will cause you not to be so intimidated that you take wrong steps, which is really what complicates peopleâs situation, not the initial issue. Donât let satan cause you to jump from frying pan to fire! Phil 1:28 says, âDon’t be intimidated by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himselfâ (NLT). Be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).
In Acts 27, the sailors, out of fear, wanted to abandon the ship which would have resulted in the death of everyone on board. Though the storm had been raging, the sailorsâ escape from the ship would have complicated matter. There were 276 passengers and crew on board. Thank God Paul spoke out against this wrong move, and the soldiers on board stopped the sailorsâ plan. This preserved the lives of all. Â
No matter the raging storm, donât give up. The wind may be contrary, keep rowing your boat. Jesus will soon show up to save you like he saved the disciples (Mark 6:46-51). Not long after Paulâs warning was heeded in Acts 27:31-32, he begged them to eat and assured them that nobody would die. They could have all died before Godâs deliverance came just because the sailors complicated matters by taking a wrong step motivated by fear!
Nothing is impossible for God to do. Even if the devil does the worst he can do, donât be moved; know that God will cause everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). Heâll do that for you.
2. Enter the Kingdom of God and pursue the things of the Kingdom. According to Matt 6:33, âGod will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concernâ (NLT). The New Century Version says, âSeek first Godâs kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.â You enter the Kingdom of God by being born again i-e by giving your life to Jesus (John 3:3-7).
Every other kingdom or system outside the Kingdom of God shall be shaken and those who build their lives around and on it. Nevertheless, the Kingdom of God and those who are children of the Kingdom shall not be shaken. Heb 12:28 says we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken.
If youâre born again, youâre part of the Kingdom. Donât expect too much from the world system â at its best, itâs still full of imperfections and unpredictability; it wonât last. Donât depend on it; donât place your hope in it. Live like a stranger and pilgrim (Heb 11:13; 1Peter 2:11). This world and all it contains will pass away (1 Cor 7:31). âAnd this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live foreverâ (1 John 2:17 NLT).
3. Receive and obey the Word of God. Build every department of your life on the rock, the word of God, and there will be no shaking for you when the rain falls, the flood comes and the wind of life begins to blow and beat against you as Jesus explained in his parable of a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matt 7:24-27; Luke 6:46-49).
What is your attitude to the Word of God? Does it mean anything to you? Do you just hear and shrug your shoulders or you go to obey it? To obey is better than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22).
Obedience to God will lead to your establishment â establishment of your life, marriage, family, business, finances, etc. Disobedience will cause you to be shaken and even to be displaced. It caused the kingdom of Saul not to be established and he was replaced by David (1 Sam 13:13-14).
If youâve been walking in disobedience in any way, repent. Genuine repentance is the way to find your way back to God, and save yourself from being blown away like chaff. Return to the LORD; forsake your sins (Zech 1:3).
4. Trust in the LORD. Put your trust in him because of his precious promise to be with you no matter what happens. He says when you pass through the waters, He will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burnt; the flame shall not scorch you (Isa 43:2). Isnât that reassuring?
King David said, âI know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside meâ (Acts 2:25 NLT). If youâve given your life to Jesus, you should know the LORD is always with you. Jeremiah who was under the old covenant said, âBut the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgottenâ (Jer 20:11 NKJV). Christians have a new and better covenant. You should be sure of the LORDâs abiding presence. Heâll never leave you or forsake you; men can do you nothing (Heb 13:5-6). No shaking!
Psalm 91:2 says, âI will say of the LORD, âHe is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trustâ (NKJV). The psalmist would not experience any of the negative things recorded in Psalm 91 because he had put his trust in God dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and abiding under the shadow of the Almighty. If you trust in the LORD, you shall be protected and safe (Psalm 125:1-2; Prov 29:25). No shaking for those who trust in the LORD. They shall not fear what others are afraid of; because they fear God, they need fear nothing else (Isa 8:12-13). Theyâll enjoy His mercy and they shall not be moved (Psalm 21:7).
5. Drink from the rivers of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is rivers of living water flowing in those who believe in Jesus Christ (John 7:38-39). See how God, like a river, sustained Jerusalem:Â âThere is a river that brings joy to the city of God, the Holy place where God Most High lives. God is in that city, and so it will not be shaken. God will help her at dawnâ (Ps 46:4-5 NCV).
Stay open to the ministry of the Holy Spirit; fellowship with him. Let the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, lead you, guide you, teach you and remind you what youâve been taught (John 14:16, 26; Acts 9:31b).
6. Endure hardship. Many people are easily moved or shaken by negative circumstances or trials. Endure hardship and you wonât be shaken by anything the devil or life throws at you.
Are you easily moved by trials, problems, attacks or opposition? Endurance will make you not to be shaken. It was endurance that made Paul write, âWe are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep goingâ (2 Cor 4:8-9 NLT).Â
It was because of his endurance that he could call his many troubles small (light affliction). He said they wouldn’t last very long and would produce for him an immeasurably great glory that would last forever (verse 17). Paul knew how to be abased and how to abound â how to live on almost nothing or with everything (Phil 4:12). He wasnât afraid to suffer for the LORD.
In Acts 20:22-24, Paul was unmoved by the chains and tribulations awaiting him in Jerusalem; he didnât count his life dear to himself but was only concerned about finishing his race with joy, and the ministry which he had received from the LORD.
In Acts 21:12-13, Paul maintained the same no-shaking attitude when he was being begged not to go up to Jerusalem because of the persecution prophecies had revealed was waiting for him there. But Paul answered, âWhat do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesusâ (verse 13 NKJV). He knew all things would ultimately work together for his good. He had always wanted to go to preach in Rome, and had prayed about it (Acts 19:21; Rom 1:10). He was eventually arrested in Jerusalem and arrived in Rome as a prisoner. While there, he was able to preach the gospel (Acts 23:11, 25:1-12, 27:1-2, 28:11-16). He used his adversity to advance the Kingdom of God on earth. He wrote the epistles in prison encouraging the churches. Imagine Paul, a prisoner, encouraging Christians not in confinement to rejoice! He wasnât shaken by his imprisonment. God works all things together, including adverse circumstances, to achieve His purpose.
7. Look at lifeâs challenges through the prism of eternity. Every problem is temporary; eternity is unending! Donât let the troubles of life rob you of eternity with God. Paul said, âSo we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last foreverâ (2 Cor 4:18 NLT). Donât run from adversity. Endure. Whoever endures to the end shall be saved (Matt 10:22b, 24:13; Mark 13:13b). That adversity wonât destroy you in Jesusâ name.
8. Wait quietly for the LORD. Lam 3:26 says it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. One benefit of waiting quietly for the LORD is that you wonât be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2 says, âI wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shakenâ (NLT). Verses 5-6 say nearly the same thing. If you wait quietly for the LORD, you wonât be moved or shaken by anything.
Conclusion: I encourage you to act on the word youâve read, and refuse to be shaken by anything. God shall help you to stand strong. He wonât allow your feet to be moved (Psalms 66:9, 121:3). You wonât fall, falter, stumble or go off course in Jesusâ name. No shaking!
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again take the following steps:*Admit youâre a sinner and you canât save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start to attend a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church. There, you will be taught how to grow in the Lord and how to discover and fulfill Godâs purpose for your life.
Kindly say this prayer now: â0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I repent of my sins and ask for forgiveness. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I confess Jesus as my Savior and my Lord and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God.â
I congratulate you if you have said that prayer sincerely. You are now a child of God. May flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you.
T.O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
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Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
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Website: www.cedarministry.org