Daily Devotional

I hear it coming…. a quiet tremble, then a screaming rumble! A shocking boom follows it and then the violent shaking begins. Next, I hear the crashing of items thrown off the counters and watch the chandelier flying back and forth. The creaking of the house adds to that. The yell “earthquake” alarms everyone inside—as if they did not know!

Living many years on the coast of California, I have experienced many, many earthquakes. Two earthquakes stand out in my memory. One earthquake hit while I was shopping in the bedding department of a store. Carrying my newborn baby, I gently dove into a shelf of pillows and waited for the shaking to pass in the shelter of fluff and batting. When it was over, I crawled out and resumed my shopping. Just another day in earthquake country.

The most dramatic earthquake for my husband, Jim and I happened in Goleta, California. We parked our recreational vehicle on the side of the freeway due to a flat tire. Spotting a gas station, we hiked up the freeway embankment to the top of the hill, over the train tracks, and entered the station office. At that moment, I heard the rumble. My attention was riveted on the golf course across the street. The grass was in a rolling motion like the waves of the ocean. The earthquake roared like a savage beast. Slam-bang. Large adobe roof tiles crashed to the ground. A terrified man ran screaming, “The tanks are gunna blow!” My husband pushed me down onto the floor of the office and shielded me with his body as the office plate glass window shattered. We hung on to each other as we waited for the monster to pass us. Then it was eerily quiet.
 
We looked around at the destruction…thankful. We trembled with the realization of the close call we just experienced. We were not hurt and the gas tanks did not blow. We brushed off our clothes and slowly tiptoed around the glass out of the office to use the pay phone in the parking lot. Someone else beat us to the phone first. It was easy to overhear his animated description of the earthquake. “It must not be too bad, because I hear the train whistle. The train tracks must be okay.” Immediately, there was a thunderous, earsplitting crash. The train tracks were not okay! The freight train had de-railed some distance back. (We could not see it.) The train rolled off the tracks down to the freeway below. Never have I heard such a powerful explosion of sound. As we recovered from that day we could not help praising God for His protection while the earth roared!

There are other earthquakes I must talk about. This kind explodes in our heart and soul. They rumble and shake us to the core: Financial woes, or death of a loved one, medical emergencies, wayward kids or grandkids, broken marriages, hurt feelings, war, violence, and even abuse. Just like an earthquake they can destabilize and cause destruction.

I offer these truths to comfort in time of need:

1. God offers His presence when the unexpected surprises crash into our lives. He will never leave us alone in the earthquake.
   
   
2. God offers His Scripture to memorize. This will comfort in times of trouble.
   
   
3. God offers protection for our hearts. Stay close to Him and He will protect us from bitterness and despair.
   
   
4. God offers us confidence that He will bring justice and closure. We can trust Him.

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.