The Lord shook Egypt to its foundation in order to set His people free.
In the Scriptures, Egypt is often used as a metaphor for the world, and
the reason why the world is starting to be shaken to its foundation is
for the same reasonâ€â€to set God's people free.
Just as God's people were enslaved in Egypt and it took a mighty
display of God's power to set them free, we are in the first stages of
the same scenario. Many gave their lives to Christ, but then went on
to live for themselves, building their lives more upon the kingdoms of
this world than the kingdom of God. Because He loves us, the present
shaking is grace and mercy from God to help set us free.
However, the wise who are on the right path will see everything in the
perspective of increasing light. I once lost a business, a fortune, and
just about everything I owned, and I cannot tell you how much better I
felt! I was free for the first time in years. It was painful when I was
going through it. In fact, it was some of the worst times I have ever
had, but when it was over I was very thankful for what this shaking had
done for me and how free I felt. We had left our dream house for a
cottage that was just barely bigger than our bedroom had been, and we
were happier. It was so worth it just to be back on the path that
became continually brighter instead of more confusing.
I am not saying that you have to go through all that I did. I may have
been far more stubborn or rebellious, making it harder for the Lord to
get through to me. However, if our stuff is more important to us than
the Lord, then the greatest thing that can happen to us is to lose the
stuff. If our concern for our position of honour in the eyes of the
world has eclipsed our concern for what the Lord thinks of our life,
then the greatest thing in the world that could happen to us is to lose
the respect of men so that we can gain our respect before God.
This is going to be a most exciting year, which is another way of
saying a very shaky one. Those who are not growing in faith in God will
begin to fall away. Those who are growing in faith in God will begin to
lead many others to the same. We must get ready for this and understand
how it will play out.
Those who are walking in faith, walking in the path of the righteous,
will be proactive, experiencing many accomplishments and victories
because they will be able to see where they are going with increasing
clarity, enabling them to be proactive and decisive. This is declared
in the verses we reviewed last week, Proverbs 4:18-19, But the path of
the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and
brighter until the full day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they
stumble. The next three verses from the text in Proverbs give us a key
to the victorious life solidly built on the kingdom that cannot be
shaken:
My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their whole body (Proverbs 4:20-22).
Devote yourself this year to knowing and obeying the Word of God.
Determine that you will read at least one chapter of the Bible every
day. Remember, it is those who hear the Words of the Lord and obey them
that build their houses on the rock that will stand against the storms.
Many complain that the Lord has not spoken to them when their Bibles
are sitting on their shelves covered with dust. It is those who seek
Him who find Him.
If we are walking in ever increasing light, we should be pursuing Him
and the understanding of His ways more and more. We must gather fresh
manna daily, not just weekly. Resolve that to whatever degree you now
spend time seeking to know and obey God's Word that you are going to
increase that this year. Start now. It will pay greater dividends than
any other investment you could make. – MorningStar Ministries –
reproduced with permission