I Will Not Be Shaken

by Rebecca Kiser

A couple of weeks ago, I heard a pastor speak a message about the wise man who built his house on the rock. Now, having grown up in church, church school, and church camp I have heard this story several times. I’ve seen Sunday school teachers use the little felt Jesus on the felt board to explain the story, and I’ve got that song memorized. It’s one of those classic Bible stories. But the problem with growing up in church is that I know stories like this one in and out, but they don’t always reach my heart.

When I heard this story most recently though, I saw myself as the house.

Lately I’ve felt shaken. I am consumed with panic and worry over this in-between time in my life.

Now you should know I am a poster child “Type A” person. I like things to be predetermined, organized, color-coded, and predictable. When it comes to uncertainty, I’m not a fan. Right now, it seems like everything is uncertain. Most of my friends just moved off to school, things are changing at my job, I just started at a brand new school with brand new people, and I suddenly find myself having to make big decisions about my future. I look around at all of that, and it seems like there isn’t a single aspect of my life that isn’t uncertain. And it has me shaken.

Then I walk into church. I hear this earth-shattering message about that parable.

Matthew 7:24-27 NLT
Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.

I am asked, “What are you building your house on? What, if lost, will cause you to be shaken? Where is your hope?”.

The pastor’s words captivate me as he explains that if we are building ourselves on anything other than God, we will be shaken. We will crumble.

It hits me that if I am reliant on my friends, my job, my school, my decisions, or anything else, my foundation is going to collapse.

Those things are not meant to carry me.

You guys, God is the only thing that will not fail me. Because he will not collapse.

And I hear God’s voice command me, “You will not be shaken.”

In that moment I drop all of that uncertainty at the door. All I’m left with is Jesus, and I am completely fulfilled. Nothing is uncertain because he is a solid foundation. Nothing can shake me. God says, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” Isaiah 54:10.

Our world is shaking right now, guys.
We are a nation politically divided.
We have rumors of wars all over the world.
We have mass shootings leaking fear into our daily routines.
We just commemorated a day seventeen years ago that still has us shaking.
We have a massive hurricane literally shaking our houses.

We have lots of reasons to be shaken if those are the things we are built on. But if we have built ourselves on Him, none of this can shake us.

Now when I am overwhelmed, and I feel panic spreading through my veins, I hear that sturdy promise from God: “You will not be shaken.” And I find that solid ground to stand on.

People will fail you. Your job will fail you. You will fail yourself. But Jesus never will.