That first time in an elevator, we’ve all felt that brief, unnerving shudder, a sudden loss of orientation in time and place. It’s that fleeting moment when the ground seems to shift beneath you, leaving your senses scrambling for stability. Even now, I must confess, I still feel lightheaded in an elevator. This loss of orientation is quite similar to that during an earthquake; instinctively, one appears to raise their hands to gain balance or reach for support— quivering. The Bible (KJV) describes it as "trembling".

“The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining” – Joel 2:10. I am not a prophet, but in these last days, earthquakes will come: Jesus foretold, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places” – Matthew 24:7. Not just as natural disasters, as many assume, but as times of spiritual shifts and divine repositioning.

These aren’t just physical tremors but moments of spiritual shaking, realignment, and transition. Just as an earthquake disrupts and reshapes landscapes, divine shifts will unsettle familiar territories, break old foundations, and prepare the way for something new. “Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth. And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former: and in this place will I give peace, says the LORD of hosts” – Hosea 2:6-9.

The shaking isn’t without purpose—it is for the rise and fall of many. “For promotion comes neither from the east, nor the west, nor the south. But God is the judge: He puts down one and sets up another” – Psalm 75:6-7. These divine repositionings are not random selections. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” – 1 Peter 5:5. “The day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble” – Malachi 4:1.

Pride is, at its core, independence from God—the attempt to conduct our lives, make our decisions, and pursue our ambitions without His counsel or involvement. Scripture says, “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way” (Psalm 25:9). Meekness, therefore, is revealed in our willingness to be led; pride begins to take root when we become confident enough to proceed without God.

To acknowledge God in our ways is to admit that we do not possess sufficient wisdom to direct ourselves. We commit our path to Him, seek His counsel, and submit our decisions to His leading. A life that consistently excludes God from its plans may appear self-sufficient, but beneath that independence lies the seed of pride.

And sometimes, the shaking is also an awakening. God permits disruption not merely to unsettle, but to rouse those who have become spiritually asleep. Arise, sleeping soldiers! Wake from complacency, return to dependence upon God, and take your place in His purpose—lest, when everything that can be shaken is shaken, you are found standing among the proud.