Never Shaken

Have you ever experienced an earthquake so that you lost your footing? Have you ever lost your footing on a steep incline and actually fallen off the path? Have you ever tripped on a staircase with nothing to grab hold of? These are images of what the Psalmist calls shaken. Being shaken is the idea that you have lost your footing but there is nothing to help you keep or regain your balance...so you fall!

Of course, the Psalmist is not talking about literal earthquakes and tripping. Rather, he has in mind those events in life in which we are shaken to the point of near catastrophe spiritually. It may be that our faith is weak and we wonder if God will help, or we wonder if God really cares, or we just no longer see the use in trying.

God never promised that there will be no earthquakes in life. He does not guarantee that the path of life will always be smooth, wide and even. He does not assure us that there will be no obstacles, no enemies, and no temptations. However, he does promise that we will not be shaken. In fact, to the righteous his promise is greater:

He who does these things will never be shaken.

—Psalm 15:5

The literal Hebrew text reads, “He will not be shaken, forever.”

While it is true that God will extend his hand to help us when we fall, He is also the one who can make us surefooted so that we do not fall at all. It may seem to be an unattainable ideal, but the Psalmist assures us that God will help us so that we are never shaken, so that we never fall.

So, how is it that we can have this kind of surefooted assurance in our lives?

• It is because the Lord is my counsel; he is always in my thoughts; he is next to me. (Psalm 16:7-8)
• It is because of the continual love of the Lord for me and my trust in Him. (Psalm 21:7)
• It is because God is my strength, my rest, and my salvation. (Psalm 62:6-8)
• It is because God’s attention is trained toward the righteous. My righteousness does not keep me from stumbling, but God remembers his righteous ones, and he will make them surefooted. (Psalms 15:5; 55:22 and 112:6)

In the first Psalm David declared blessings from God for the one who avoids the path of sin and evil. He declared blessings from God for the one who meditates on the instruction of the Lord.

He is like a tree

   planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in season

   And whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

—Psalm 1:3

We each need to be that deep-rooted tree that withstands the storms of life year after year. To have such strength we must, send our roots deep into the refreshing word of God...

...Learning the value of trusting in the Lord;

...Gaining confidence in his strength;

...Experiencing his kindness, his rest, his salvation; and

...Growing in His righteousness.

Then when the storms and earthquakes of life occur,

          We will NOT BE SHAKEN…

                                                           FOREVER!

Mark Stinnett

May 19, 2024