Fictional super spy James Bond is famous for drinking his martinis shaken, not stirred. And for your information, that’s the same way I drink my chocolate milk. I can only guess that a spy and a pastor have the same reasoning for this.
When I make chocolate milk if I only stir in the chocolate powder it mixes up a little but eventually settles on the bottom and is clumpy and really useless to the rest of the glass of milk. But when it is given a good shaking, the chocolate blends with the milk and makes my beverage enjoyment all that much sweeter.
Often we are stirred in our emotions by good worship, preaching, etc. but when the feelings settle to the bottom we find that sometimes no real change has taken place in our heart.
What we need is a good shaking. A good God shaking, where we move beyond just being stirred up and we start to take on the characteristics of who we are being blended with. And that would be the Spirit of God.
When God shakes us it may be unpleasant at first. But it always produces a lasting effect…..things fall off, unwanted stuff turns loose, the baggage which as Hebrews 12:1 points out “so easily entangles us” stops entangling us. We should seek to be shaken. Read the following scriptures and see what the Lord says to you.
See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they (Israel in the wilderness) did not escape when they refused him (Moses) who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
– Hebrews 12:25-27 NIV
Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck…
– Isaiah 52:2 NIV
Starting to see how important it is to be shaken. If so take the next step and pray this dangerous prayer from Psalm 139:23-24. Don’t pray it if you don’t mean it because the Lord will answer. ” Search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any hurtful (wicked) way in me…” (NASB)
The New Living Bible says it this way, “Point out anything in me that offends you.”
As He reveals areas in your life such as harmful patterns, wrong thinking, selfish attitudes, unhealthy habits He doesn’t do it to bring shame and guilt. No, He’s convicting you of righteousness (John 16:9). The Greek word “convict” that John uses could also be translated “convince”.
The Holy Spirit is convincing you that you were created for better. He will remind you of who you were saved to be and lovingly expose the things that keep you from being an overcoming child of God.
Ask the Lord to begin shaking off anything that offends Him and shake you until you’re no longer a glass of boring white milk but let the extra chocolatety power of His Spirit consumes you.
I want to be shaken not just stirred! How about you?
