Shake it up
As I was doing some errands this evening I stopped at the bank. I had just asked God if I could have a word to give. As soon as I asked I heard this phrase pass through my mind, “Shake it up!” I had no sooner asked was that really you or just my thoughts when I looked down. There in the evening sunshine was my confirmation. It was a bright shiny dime.
I immediately thought of the shaking scripture in Haggai chapter two where God speaks of the shaking to come. This same passage is referred to in Hebrews 12:26. God says He is going not only to shake the earth, but also the heavens.
“Shake it up”. I was surprised by what I found in a word search in my electronic Bible. The initial occurrence comes in Genesis of the New Jerusalem Bible. It is when Isaac is blessing Esau.
“But when you win your freedom, you will shake his yoke off your neck”
Genesis 27:40b (NJB).
John reminds us that if we allow Jesus to free us, we will indeed be free (John 8:36). We will be clean of the hindrances which we face. We can be free of them by taking Jesus’ yoke. We are to learn from Him. His yoke is easy (Matthew 11:29-30). The prophet Nahum paints a vivid picture.
“And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart" Nahum 1:13 (ESV).
We are to shake up our ways and align to the ways of God. That yoke of man is broken when we accept Jesus as our person redeemer. We are to have our yoke replaced with His yoke. Sometimes under the power of the Holy Spirit people will shake. We can lose control when God comes near. He wants to shape us to an image He can use.
Isaiah places these two thoughts together well when God is exhorting the people of Jerusalem.
“Shake yourself from the dust and arise;
be seated, O Jerusalem;
loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion” Isaiah 52:2 (ESV).
Was God speaking to a lethargic people in the mid-1960’s? Was He trying to awaken us to what He was trying to do in the Jesus movement? There was a prophetic voice carrying over the airwaves that we should consider. It was a call to “Shake it up, baby, twist and shout”. Are we willing to shout to the Lord? Are we shouting aloud to the God of Jacob (Psalm 8:1)?
God says, “Shake it up!” How much better would we be in following His direction and shaking things rather than waiting for God to shake us for disobedience and lethargy!
I immediately thought of the shaking scripture in Haggai chapter two where God speaks of the shaking to come. This same passage is referred to in Hebrews 12:26. God says He is going not only to shake the earth, but also the heavens.
“Shake it up”. I was surprised by what I found in a word search in my electronic Bible. The initial occurrence comes in Genesis of the New Jerusalem Bible. It is when Isaac is blessing Esau.
“But when you win your freedom, you will shake his yoke off your neck”
Genesis 27:40b (NJB).
John reminds us that if we allow Jesus to free us, we will indeed be free (John 8:36). We will be clean of the hindrances which we face. We can be free of them by taking Jesus’ yoke. We are to learn from Him. His yoke is easy (Matthew 11:29-30). The prophet Nahum paints a vivid picture.
“And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart" Nahum 1:13 (ESV).
We are to shake up our ways and align to the ways of God. That yoke of man is broken when we accept Jesus as our person redeemer. We are to have our yoke replaced with His yoke. Sometimes under the power of the Holy Spirit people will shake. We can lose control when God comes near. He wants to shape us to an image He can use.
Isaiah places these two thoughts together well when God is exhorting the people of Jerusalem.
“Shake yourself from the dust and arise;
be seated, O Jerusalem;
loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion” Isaiah 52:2 (ESV).
Was God speaking to a lethargic people in the mid-1960’s? Was He trying to awaken us to what He was trying to do in the Jesus movement? There was a prophetic voice carrying over the airwaves that we should consider. It was a call to “Shake it up, baby, twist and shout”. Are we willing to shout to the Lord? Are we shouting aloud to the God of Jacob (Psalm 8:1)?
God says, “Shake it up!” How much better would we be in following His direction and shaking things rather than waiting for God to shake us for disobedience and lethargy!
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