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Earthquake Number Two

by Jerry Ousley  
2/14/2014 / Christian Living

The second earthquake we experienced happened only a few years ago. Debbie was working third shift. As had been my practice since she had started that job, I was up, getting ready to go to work myself, and waiting for her to arrive home. I was sitting on the couch, sipping my morning coffee when all of a sudden the windows of the house began to rattle and I could feel the floor shaking under my feet. By then I had nearly forgotten about the first, minor quake we had experienced, so again I wondered, "What in the world is going on?" My first thought was that the wind was blowing at gale force. We had experienced some windstorms and had lost several trees in our yard because of it. I tried to get up intending to run to the window and look out but by the time I got to my feet it was over.

I still ran to the window in attempt to find out what had happened. The trees were still not a leaf moving. I then remembered that we had a TV set and just maybe I could find out something on the news. Sure enough, when I turned it on, they were talking about a small earthquake. The epicenter was in southern Illinois. Many of you have experienced earthquakes from the epicenter. I haven't and can't imagine what it must be like. I know the little bitty encounters we have had were enough to concern me.

An earthquake is something much different than other tragedies. In a tornado, although there isn't much time, one can run to a basement or a center strong point of their house and have a good chance of survival. In a hurricane there is usually several days warning and many have the opportunity to get out of harm's way. Even in a tsunami, if one has enough warning (and in the more recent tragic ones there wasn't much warning), a person can attempt to get to higher ground.

But in an earthquake, unless you happen to be in the air, there is no escape. The ground under your feet begins to rock and roll. If one is bad enough you lose your balance and have a hard time standing. In an earthquake being in a structure of any kind offers no protection because the house or building could come crashing down on you. When good old terra-firma begins to rattle and shake, let's face it; we have no control. We are helplessly at the mercy of God because all our security has been stripped away.

The Bible talks about earthquakes at least twenty times. One is mentioned in Amos 1:1. Another is recorded in 1 Samuel 14:15. An earthquake took place in Matthew during the crucifixion of Jesus. Another is recorded in Acts chapter 16 God used it to free Paul and Silas from the Philippian jail. Many are mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

But there's another form of earthquake that takes place in each life on this planet. I dare say that none have escaped it and if it has not been experienced, one day it will. It isn't a physical shaking of the earth but one that shakes our emotions and rocks our personal worlds to the core. Upheavals in life take place each and every day. Normally, only the individual experiencing the quake feel its devastation. Others pass by unconcerned because, frankly it isn't affecting them. But it is affecting you. Your world seems to be flying apart.

I don't have the time or space to mention everything that can cause these great disasters in our lives but I believe you know what I'm talking about. There are some who are experiencing them right now. By chance you are reading this article as you are in the very midst of your personal earthquake. The devastation may be so severe that you have thought about taking your own life and bringing the horror to an end.

When our security is gone there seems to be nowhere else to turn. But I want to tell you today that when we are stripped of our security and our worlds seem to be coming to an end, there is still hope. There is hope in Jesus Christ. He wants to bring an end to your life-tragedy. He wants you to know that when all the security of man is gone, there is security in Him. Call out to Jesus today. Trust in Him and know that He can either stop the shaking in your life, or lift you above it. Either way, He will bring calm to your life's storm. Trust Him today and know that in Christ, when the earth is shaking under your feet, you can stand on firm ground only in Him.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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