The Shaking
“At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken —that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”
Hebrews 12:26-27 NIV
On October 17, 1989 at 5:04 pm, the Loma Prieta earthquake shook California. At the end of the 15-second shaking, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake left me rattled—literally.
Our home was 75 miles north of the epicenter. In one moment I was standing on what felt like a solid foundation. The next second, I watched the floor ripple like a large wave—similar to when you pull up a bedsheet and then quickly pull it down, and there is a wave produced that travels down the fabric.
In the ensuing days, the most disturbing revelation wasn’t the collapsed Cypress Structure, but that the ground I had relied upon to be solid, wasn’t.
Earthquakes happen in our lives, too. Jobs are lost, relationships crumble, illnesses come and people disappoint. The things we count on for stability suddenly aren’t stable themselves, and holding onto them is of no benefit. They can even topple over and crush us.
My natural tendency is to put my trust in my capabilities. That seemed to have worked until an earthquake hit my life some years later. Boy, did my world shake (Pro 28:26). Nearly everything and everyone that I had put my trust in were shaken loose in the process.
Unlike an approaching tornado or hurricane, you don’t see an earthquake coming. There is no warning. It simply hits and then you clean up. The things that could be shaken in my life were shaken, and I was left with my faith in God, a few precious people and a big mess.
The Lord allows shaking in our lives—not because He wants us to live in fear, but because He wants our sense of security to shift from what can to shaken to what is truly solid.
As difficult and unsettling as it was, it became clear that while people and things are gifts from God, they do not replace Him. I would love to give you a verse about other people and things we are encouraged to trust according to scripture, but there aren’t any. NONE.
The only place we are instructed to put our faith is in God. And we are fools to put the full weight of our trust ANYWHERE except squarely in His hands (Ps 62:1-2).
Father, we tend to rely upon our senses. Putting our trust in the invisible seems foolhardy. Yet You, our invisible God, have been faithful to every generation since before the beginning of time (Ps 9:10).
Show us where, in our anxiety, we have been clutching to people, things and our own self sufficiency—trusting them to be our savior. Help us to loosen our grip on what can be shaken to take hold of the security of hope and peace in You (Rom 15:13).
Give us hearts that are deeply grateful for our blessings. But help us to exchange the foolishness of faith in what was created, for the wisdom of faith in the Creator. In Jesus’ Name ❤️
Beloved, it has been 30 years since Loma Prieta. If an earthquake hits your life tomorrow, what are you standing on? Are you anchored to the solid rock? 💡
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