It is human nature to desire to be comfortable. People are most comfortable when they can count on things continuing the way they are or the way they have always been. The standing joke in regard to the tendency of organizations to resist change is, “We’ve never done it that way before.” And that is often the reason why things don’t get better . . . because people choose comfortable and familiar patterns of behaviour over the risky and unpredictable eagerness for change. It is said that the only person who really likes change is a wet baby.

On the other hand, there are those who become bored with the status quo—whether a marriage, a job or a car—and want change simply for the sake of change. That’s often the way it is with politicians. During an election, politicians promise change because they know the voting public is unhappy with the ongoing collapse of the economy and the moral fabric of the country. Politicians have won elections and become presidents or prime ministers simply by promising change. What type of change is not always clearly defined.

What will that change look like? What will that change cost? How will that change be implemented? And how will we measure the results of the promised change? Those questions are often unanswered until after an election, and then, the results are not always so pleasant.

Another saying that I have heard and appreciate is: “Before you remove a fence, find out what it was put there for.” A fence may have been installed to keep children from wandering out of the backyard. A fence may have been installed to keep a flock of sheep from straying or to keep out predators. Removing a fence may have unintended consequences.

The same is true of the behavioural patterns and moral restraints that are being challenged in our society today. Social boundaries—that have for centuries—protected men, women and children from self-destructive behaviours have sometimes been removed by the “woke” and influential change agents in media, politics and entertainment. The boundaries that defined marriage between one man and one woman have long been respected and endorsed by the vast majority in Western cultures, even if those boundaries have been often violated by sinful behaviour. Even when vows were broken, the consensus of the community was a shared understanding that this constituted moral failure, a lapse of judgment and a departure from the desired norm. Failure was not celebrated; it was lamented.

Today, we who hold those views are considered narrow-minded and old-fashioned. But we see the results of broken vows and forgotten promises. We see children for whom the protection of the backyard fence, the secure family unit, and the promise of faithful, lifelong relationships has been marred, weakened and shaken.

Another social boundary that has guarded the community from destructive behaviours for thousands of years was the shared understanding that the shedding of innocent blood was always wrong. Again, that shared moral consensus has often been violated. But murder has always been condemned and the guilty have suffered the pangs of conscience, as well as the just consequences meted out by their fellow citizens and their judges.

Today, this commandment—“You shall not shed innocent blood”—has also been relegated to the dustbin of a former age. The killing of the innocent pre-born by premeditated abortion and the deliberate shortening of the life of the elderly have become accepted and are defended as the “new normal.” Those of us who resist this trend are considered regressive, judgmental and out of touch with reality.

We see shaking going on in many areas of our lives. Technological advances have changed the way we communicate, the way we travel, the way we work. Some of these changes are good. Others are bad. The same technology that allows us to hold zoom conferences at a fraction of the cost of travelling to an in-person meeting also allows child predators to groom and torment boys and girls. The same hi-tech tools that allow sight-saving surgery on eyes can be used to mutilate bodies and defy the biological patterns established by our Creator.

What is comforting to know is that God Himself cannot be shaken. His laws and His order cannot be shaken. Men may abandon the faith, may wander off the path, may forget His blessings, may ignore His commandments, but God remains immoveable, unshakeable and undiminished. His promises are sure. We do well to remember that God has promised to shake “not the earth only, but also heaven.” The author of the book of Hebrews goes on to say that this refers to God shaking created things . . . and that only “. . . those things that cannot be shaken will remain” (Hebrews 12:26-27).

If we want to survive the shaking and live forever with God in His kingdom—a kingdom that “. . . cannot be shaken,”—we must cling to Him and to His promises and not abandon His principles. The world around us is changing, and politicians, the media and many of our friends and acquaintances may have written off faith and obedience as no longer relevant. We must not follow the crowd. We must not take the path of least resistance. Our faith must hold even when we can’t see with our eyes the results we long for. Faith is, after all, “the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

In the days ahead, our faith will be tested. We will see things that trouble us. There will be a great shaking in our economy and our social institutions. Whatever may happen in this current election, God is still on the throne, and His promises are sure. May our candidates and campaign teams rejoice in their privilege of proclaiming His truth in the midst of confusion and shaking. Stand firm. Be bold. Be encouraged. God—who is in you—cannot be shaken.