What Cannot Be Shaken
When the window breaks, the light gets in. What remains is what truly matters.
Devotional Credit:
T. Austin-Sparks, Editor’s Letter, Nov-Dec 1952, from Open Windows
Photo Credit:
Unsplash
In today’s meditation, T. Austin-Sparks draws our attention to the divine upheaval that God allows—or even initiates—so that only what is rooted in Christ remains. Citing Hebrews 12, he reminds us that created things—systems, traditions, institutions—are inherently shakable. Only the eternal, spiritual life sourced in Christ is unshakable.
He warns that the desire to replicate New Testament churches through templates and formulas may result in lifeless systems just as dead as the ones we try to escape. The Church is not a structure to be copied but a living organism birthed through the Cross and sustained by the indwelling life of Christ. When believers try to recreate external forms without the internal reality, they risk missing the very essence of spiritual vitality.
As pressures intensify and false foundations collapse, Sparks calls for a deeper ministry—one not focused on breadth but on depth. Believers must examine whether their Christianity is secondhand tradition or firsthand revelation. Has Christ been revealed in their hearts, or are they simply living out a social construct?
Ultimately, the shaking is not a threat—it is a mercy. It strips away the temporal so the eternal can stand in clear contrast. The question isn't whether shaking will come, but whether what we have is truly unshakable.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, I have already begun to shake what is man-made so you may fully rest in what is eternal. You have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and you are part of a house not built by human hands. You are not a product of tradition or religious design—you are Mine, born of imperishable seed, filled with My Spirit, and anchored in My Son.
Do not fear when the forms around you collapse or when trusted institutions fall. I have never asked you to build monuments of method. I have called you to abide in Me. Your faith is not sustained by systems but by union with Christ, who is your life. The Church is not a model to follow—it is a mystery lived out, Christ in you, the hope of glory.
When the winds rise and the foundations shift, look not to what once held you steady but to the Rock beneath your feet. What remains is what I Myself have built within you—My life, My truth, My presence. Let Me deepen your roots. Let Me reveal My Son to your heart in greater measure. Let your walk be marked by Spirit-breathed intimacy, not inherited routines.
I am establishing you in the unshakable. Everything that stands after the storm will be what I Myself have placed in you. Trust Me. I will complete what I began.
Scripture References:
Hebrews 12:26–29, 1 Peter 1:23, Colossians 1:27, 1 Corinthians 3:11, Ephesians 3:16–19, Romans 8:14, 2 Corinthians 3:5–6, Galatians 1:15–16, John 15:4–5, Colossians 2:6–7, Matthew 7:24–25, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 3:6, Ephesians 2:21–22, Revelation 3:12, 1 Corinthians 6:19
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine you're cleaning out a cluttered attic after years of storing boxes. As you pull out old cartons, dust-covered furniture, and broken appliances, you begin to realize that much of what you kept has lost its value. It once seemed useful or important, but now only a few items remain that still matter. The shaking of the attic wasn’t destruction—it was revelation.
In the same way, God allows the clutter of our lives, our traditions, even our spiritual routines, to be sifted. He reveals what is of Him and what was merely stored up out of habit or fear. We yield to Him by trusting: Lord, I trust You to live Your life in me and through me today. Clear away what no longer reflects You, and let what is eternal shine in the quiet simplicity of my abiding.
You might find yourself in a season where long-held assumptions about ministry, church, or Christian life are being unsettled. That is not failure—it is grace. Let Him reveal the Life that cannot be shaken.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You for removing the things that don't endure. Thank You for lovingly allowing the shaking, not to harm but to free. You have placed within me a Life that cannot be shaken—Christ Himself. I trust You today to expose what is passing and to anchor me in what is permanent. I rest in Your faithfulness and rejoice that I belong to a kingdom that will never be moved.