Hi Brian! The word for this week is "shaken". We'll be looking at these verses: Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. KJV Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. KJV Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. KJV 2 Thess 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. KJV
In all of the above verses, the Greek word is "saleuo". It can have a positive connotation as in the verse in Luke concerning the return on our giving, or negative as in 2 Thessalonians referring to our mindset. Strong's Concordance says this: to waver; agitate; rock; topple; destroy; disturb; incite. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: the motion produced by winds, storms or waves; to shake down; overthrow; to cast down from one's secure and happy state. The good things in Luke are "shaken" so that everything will settle down, making room for more. A negative motion that produces a positive result! In Acts the entire place was shaken by the power, presence and glory of God the Holy Spirit as He moved among and upon the believers there. His power is ALWAYS a GOOD thing for HIS people! The prison being shaken also displayed the power and presence of the Spirit of God that resulted in the jailer being saved! In 2 Thessalonians Paul is warning born again, Spirit-filled believers not to be upset by things that they were hearing that were contrary to the Word and plan of God. WE can use THAT exhortation in these days! There IS that quiet place of calm confidence when we KNOW our God and His will for our lives and when we trust Him in all of those things. (As Vikings fans, we will NOT be shaken by yesterday's game! We fully expect our team to learn from their mistakes and come back better and stronger than ever!) The song for this week is another new song from Hillsong Worship called "In God We Trust":
