“When God Shakes Things Up”
By Dianne Prince
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10, NKJV).
Sometimes, we get too comfortable—clinging to routines, relationships, or places long after God has called us forward. Like a child gripping the handlebars of a stationary bike, we may feel safe, but we are not going anywhere. To move us into His greater purpose, God often has to shake us loose.
Think of a bird’s nest. When it is time for the baby bird to fly, the mother bird will begin to remove the soft lining of the nest, making it unpleasant. The nest becomes prickly and uncomfortable. Why? Because if the bird stays comfortable, it will never leave. Eventually, the young bird is nudged out—forced to flap its wings and only then does it begin to fly.
That is what God sometimes does with us. He allows discomfort. He closes doors. He allows unexpected change. He rearranges things to push us out of places we have outgrown. Not to harm us, but to help us. He knows there is something greater ahead, but we have to leave the nest to reach it.
If life feels shaky right now, do not panic. You are not being abandoned. You are being repositioned. So, trust the hands that are moving you.
When God shakes us loose and forces us out, is never without purpose. It may feel like a loss, but it is really a launch. Hold on to Him and get ready. You are about to fly.
