February 26, 2023
Charis
Earthquakes
Have you ever been in an earthquake?
I don't remember much from when we lived in California, but my parents have mentioned the normalcy of earthquakes there. You had to be ready for them. When the bigger ones hit, they shake you out of what you're doing and cause you to seek refuge.
If you study the science behind it, earthquakes are caused when tectonic plates shift and rub or bump against each other. In fact, if they don't shift and therefore cause several small earthquakes, it'll result in a huge one. It's all about the shift.
Spiritual Shaking
Another type of earthquake can hit us, and that's a spiritual shaking. If you serve God, it'll happen. It could be financially, in friendships or family, anxiety, sickness...we all have those times. It's hard. Even in the last few weeks I've felt that way--it's like the world is quaking around me, and everything's shifting.
David described a kind of earthquake, too:
"In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry." (Psalm 18:6-7, ESV)
David had a unique perspective. Earlier in the Psalm he describes how his enemies came against him, and how he felt close to death. The verse above described God's response to David's prayer, and leads into how he comes against the enemies.
Sometimes our world shaking isn't bad. Sometimes God's preparing a way for us. Sometimes God's working for our good. Sometimes God's using the the shaking to shift something for us or in us.
Again, I've seen that the last few weeks. It's felt like things are shaking, and I felt everything was out of control. For me, that is. Now I can see a little of God creating a shifting through those hard things. He's using it to draw us closer to Him. He's using it to create in us a heart more like His.
Have you been feeling the tremors? Is God shifting some things in your life? Take heart--He's working good through it all.