Shaken and Sealed in Faith

It seems coincidental when, this morning, my mind’s occupied by the word “shaken”. But I think it isn’t so. And somehow I kept wondering why this word?

As I went onto the park for a morning walk, after I dropped off my children for school, I can finally sense its significance. And I realized it’s from the Bible verse I read an hour ago.

Shaken, I murmured to myself, but it should end there. It seems dangerous just hearing the word. And the word ‘Sealed’ followed in few minutes.

Certain number of times life, if you can remember, we felt a jolt in normal life; even to our existence. When the gunshots fired, possibly, are aimed towards you for the first time, for instance. It shakes the heart and our living.

It comes in all forms, which can shake our living. More than the one we can see externally, the feelings and storm inside shake our life exorbitantly. The ground itself is shaky; earthquakes trimmed beyond our control.

Now, let me tell you why I referred to it as almost coincident: With much hard work, I secured a job with the help of God. I saw myself climbing on the hierarchical ladder one day, although I’m uncertain the period.

But this morning was the fifth year in a row for me without a job, as I decided to take care of our children than pursue my banking career. And that was one point in life where my world really got shook.

It is a privileged, as I recalled, being with my children than putting them in the care of unknown maids or helper. However, I’m recalling here about my heart’s pounding nervously; those weeks and months, before submitting my resignation to my former employer.

Shaken:

Shaken is the past form of the verb shake, which means to tremble or vibrate, relating to an object. Shiver, quake, wobble, convulse, are few amongst its synonyms.

My life’s shaken as number of positive and negative thoughts crossed my mind. The more I keep my eyes away from the Lord; I feel my life’s more shaken; sometimes not willing to take part in this world.

The subsequent outburst of my neurological problem, in the second year of my Stay-at-Home-Dad further makes me insecure. But, the more you are in deep water of troubles; the Lord is willing and about to reveal His trustworthiness.

Here, as my morning walk’s about to end, several verses from the Bible came to my mind. One being: “I keep my eyes always on the lord. With him at my right hand, I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.” A miktam of King David in Psalm 16:8 (NIV)

Shaky Living:

Once we gained consciousness in our life, we’ve been troubled by the work of the Evil One. We’ve shaken by our earthly desires, which if followed by deeds, strangulated our life at least for a while. These desires which come out of our evil side are the hardest to conquer.

In the meantime, as we gained knowledge and an integral part of wisdom, we are shaken by our calculations, predictions, and investments in our want for a better life. While it always appeared as a genuine cause, it shakes our living before we realized it.

When our housing scheme didn’t perform well, it can shake our thought, for example. When our baby project didn’t performed well as we had expected; we’re really shaken.

For some, our ill-health play spoilsport to our endeavors in this short life. And we thought that we have no foundation; yet we can rest in the words of Jesus Christ, who paid for our sins and all our needs.

Firm like the Mount Zion:

Psalm 125, which my mother helped me memorized it as a child comes in handy, many times in life. In times insecurity, lost, and grieving it gives the assurance and the need to trust God.

The ingredients and elements of life, which once we very much longed for, can only give us shaky ground in living. There are times we worried we might fall; but not because the mercy and abiding grace of God.

Our marriages life, maintaining close relatives, passing on the love, can sometimes lead us to rocky situations. Our life’s, let’s admit it, shaking intermittently; but there’ll be an end to it. However, those who put trust are like Mount Zion. Let’s read:

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Sealed in Faith through Christ:

When the storms of life thrust our living, it’s hard to withstand by ourselves. We are afraid, we felt shaken, we don’t enjoy being human, and to the extent we wanted to keep it a secret.

But then for those who believed in the power of his death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are sealed in His name. We are sealed in the Holy Spirit through our faith, which we acquired by His abiding grace. (Ephesians 1:13)

Once sealed, we are feeling secure in Him; we’re lost no more because he had found us already. Our physical body had experience turbulence from time to time, but our soul is sealed in faith through Christ Jesus.

Do you feel your world’s shaken? Are you tempted to lose hope in life? I did. But, wait on the Lord; you’ll be delivered.

We remained in His realm of control once we allowed the Holy Spirit to take over us. The flesh and its desires had always been a sworn enemy for us.

In God’s Possession – No more Shaky:

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV)

We are possessed by God for his purpose, to bring him glory, magnifying him as we lived, and perform anything worthy for Him. Then we become deposits of Christ which guaranteed our inheritance until we attained the redemption from Him.

Yet, not in the absence of suffering and affliction, but taking courage and refining each other in our shaky living. And, further, holding fast onto our allegiance in the Savior.

Now my life’s sealed in the Rock of Ages, which never shakes. In your possession, I am saved although I may feel shaky at times.

I Stake My Claim

I stake my claim in Your name
You alone are my portion;
With compassion you’d filled my cup
You make my lot secure.
I cannot see your work;
I cannot see the way you heal me,
Yet I’m not consumed by evil.
When I wake up, I’m renewed;
Moving forward – holding onto you.
In Jesus name, I am safe!