Stirred, Not Shaken

Are you awake or are you still fast asleep? Have you heard the Word, or do you refuse to listen?  Does the Word resonate – move you or are you walking away unaffected?  Have you ever been shaken so powerfully that mere standing on your own two feet seems impossible?  Has your curiosity been quenched? Have you personally been pierced by the Word and felt your heart stirred by a whirlwind crafted by His Almighty Hand?  Take a minute –  let these questions seep into your heart and ponder this.  Don’t worry I can wait.  Well, not all day I do have something more to say…

My heart earnestly wants every one of you, who does not have a personal relationship with God, to be shaken and awakened from your apparent slumber.  More than that I pray that His Word pierce and penetrate your heart so deeply that you can really see not only who God is but feel a strong desire to get to know Him.

Being shaken is not enough.  It is just quick rapid movements that are not meant to last forever.  It is a catalyst that can bring about a sudden change, but it is not a continuous action that carries you throughout the rest of your life or prompts you to make a change.  You can be shaken for example when you read about the consequences of failing to obey God’s commands; thus, not walking righteously or being faithful to our Lord.

You need to be stirred and awakened. To be stirred is to be moved or touched by someone or something.  It provokes an emotion and causes a reaction.  However, one can become stirred by the Word when he or she applies the message directly to his or her life.

We are stirred when we become spiritually awakened. To be spiritually awakened there is a shift in consciousness which brings an awareness of spiritual reality.  This can come about quickly, or it can take time to settle in and slowly grow or be built up to.

We learn in Ephesians 2:1 that we are dead in our sin until we become spiritually awakened.

Ephesians 2:1  “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sin…”

Before we find Jesus, we are lost, unassuming of our sin (blind), and on the path to eternal damnation.  We lack hope and easily give in to our fleshly desires.  We are arrogant, stubborn and believe we do not need to change nor be remorseful for our actions.  As I mentioned aforehand we can be shaken when we suffer consequences for these selfish reasons, but unless we search for something more, we are not stirred nor do we desire to be awakened.

We had the law boldly stated to us, but we failed to live by the law.  God, through His love for us, sent us a Savior to save us and revive us.  He needed to awaken us.  You cannot come to God and not be changed by Him as pointed out in John 3:3 and John 3:5-7.

John 3:3  “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’”

John 3:5-7  “Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to the flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again.’”

The New Testament supports this claim again and again.  It is the core foundation of our relationship with Jesus.  When we can admit that we are lost and that we need a Savior, we must make a change.  The change occurs when we ask Christ into our life and He sends us the power to change.  That power is the Holy Spirit who once we have accepted Christ, comes to indwell in our bodies.  We are no longer who we once were, but rather we are now changed as 2 Corinthians 5:17, Titus 3:5, and 1 Peter 1:3 explain.

2 Corinthians 5:17  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here.”

Titus 3:5  “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

1 Peter 1:3  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

The result becomes our desire to live for Him and not for ourselves.  He has given us a new heart and we, wanting to be obedient, follow Him faithfully.  Our lives are now centered on Jesus, who redeemed us, and on His kingdom to which we now belong.  This is our objective as Paul clarifies in 2 Corinthians 5:9.

2 Corinthians 5:9  “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” 

We did not get there on our own.  He revealed himself to us. He led us there.  He stirred our hearts to begin the search for Him.  We may have started off being shaken, but it is our being stirred that led us to continue until we found Him.

He awakened us to show us that we must depend on Him and not on our definition of wisdom.  He made me want to commit my life to Him and apply His word to my life.  The Holy Spirit continues to stir me by convicting me of what areas need to be changed so that I can be better aligned with Him.  His word speaks to me, teaches me, corrects me and continuously refines me until He has perfected me to His completion.

I needed a catalyst to start with, but I need a constant stirring of my heart to remain faithful and serve Him.  I lean on His word through the storms in the valleys and on the mountaintop when joy rains down.  He feeds me His word, provides shelter, offers hope, comfort and assurance.  His stirring has set my soul on fire.  His presence and promises are my security and I will not be shaken.

This is what I want each of you to find.  This is the medicine for the soul.  Here is where you run to whenever this world tries to deceive you, aims to maim you and threatens you.  His arms are always open, and His love is unending. A love that was sent directly to you.

So, I ask again are you ready to accept an invitation to stir your soul and become awakened?  I pray that you are willing to take that first step today.

For me death no longer has a sting.  I am alert and prepared.  My days of slumber are in my past. I am alive and waiting for His return.  I have been stirred and my fervor continuously burns for my Lord.  Please wake up and see what you are missing.  God Bless!