Gentle Reminders
I Will Not Be Shaken
In this life, there are moments when pressure and stress and conflict feel too much to bear. That’s how it was for David in Psalm 55. David was distraught because one of his former friends, once close to him, had turned against David. At one point, he cries out, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness” (55:6-7).
Have you ever felt like that? So discouraged, so crushed, that all you wanted to do was flee the entirety of your life and go live in complete isolation? I know I have! There have been moments when even the driest desert seemed more pleasant than my present situation. The deepest heartaches often derive from tension or loss of those we love dearly.
So what can we do when the pressures of life become unbearable? What can we do when we’ve carried that load as far as we can carry it? What can we do when we are this close to moving across the country just to get away from it all?
According to Psalm 55, we can pray. David says, “I shall call upon God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, and He will hear my voice” (vs. 16-17). The Hebrew word for ‘murmur’ is ‘hama’, which means ‘to roar, cry aloud, rage, be disquieted, and be in an uproar.’ In other words, this prayer is LOUD! It isn’t timid; it isn’t weak; it isn’t pretty. It’s real and it’s raw, and it is a prayer that the Lord hears and responds to.
God cherishes when we run to Him exactly how we are. So much in this life, we learn, we are trained to put on a good face. To fake it ’til we make it. To hustle. To only post pictures that portray a perfect life. When relationships fail, we learn to go to work as if nothing is wrong. We must hold it together, remain professional. But God already sees past the fake smile. He sees that the Instagram post, full of “happy” memories, was only meant to disguise the pain. He sees the heartache and the pressure that’s causing it. He already sees the raging river of our hearts.
We can come to Him in our brokenness. We don’t have to smile. We don’t have to pretend like things aren’t all that bad when we can barely take another step. We’re allowed to stumble to the ground and reach for the hem of His garment. We’re allowed to cast our burdens upon the One who holds us up. Upon the One who won’t allow us to be shaken.
The Hebrew word for ‘shaken’ is ‘mot’, meaning ‘to totter, be removed, be fallen in decay.’
Dear Friend, please understand, if you are in Christ, you cannot fall in decay. How can you fall in decay when you have been given Life? How can you be removed when scripture declares that nothing can separate you from God’s love?
There is no burden that can crush you so far down that you are out of God’s sight and grasp.
Cast your burden upon the LORD. Pray to Him, and don’t hold back. Prayer is your battle cry! Let it be loud. He hears you, and He will save.
Father,
I thank You that I can cry out to You, and You hear. And save. And vindicate. And redeem. And help. You will not allow the enemy to triumph, because You have already won. I am already Yours. Therefore, You will not allow me to be shaken to the point of decay, for You are Life, and I cannot be plucked from Your hand, therefore, I cannot be plucked from Life. It is mine, for You are mine. Thank You for Your mercy. I cast my burdens, all this pressure, upon You. Have Your way with me, O God! I love You.
Amen.
Up Next: “JESUS LOVES US TO THE END”
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