I experienced my very first earthquake (at least that I'm aware of) in the early morning hours of April 29, 2003. My house and everything in it, including the bed in which I was sleeping, shook for about 10 seconds. By the time I was fully awake, the earthquake was over. But even if I had slept through most of it, I had just experienced a genuine earthquake and lived to tell about it!
News reports later that day informed me that the people who study earthquakes had determined that the earthquake I’d experienced measured 4.9 on the Richter scale. (I’m thinking Richter must have been some guy who spent his whole life experiencing earthquakes and then writing down a number as to how they made him feel: “Wow, that was a biggie; I’m giving that bad boy a 7.9.” “Shucks, that earthquake was nothing… I’m only giving that sissy a 2.”)
Apparently, the earthquake that woke me up was not considered to be all that big. And that was okay with me. If you’re going to experience an earthquake, there’s no doubt that a little one that everyone can laugh about the next day is the kind of earthquake you want.
I realize that people who live in certain places, say California, experience earthquakes all the time. In fact, I get the idea that the earth shaking is no big deal to many people… kind of like the way I feel about a foggy day, or when pollen turns my car yellow. It’s just one of those things that happen.
The Bible talks about earthquakes. Earthquakes often occurred in the Old and New Testament when God wanted to make His presence known. God also seemed to shake the earth when he was upset: “The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.” Psalm 18:7.
All this pondering about the earth quaking and trembling got me thinking about how shaky so much of what I trust in really is. Here I went to bed expecting to sleep through the night, and I awakened to my house and bed shaking.
And the shakiness doesn't stop there. How often have I seen things that I thought would never move start to quiver like a bowl of Jell-O. Relationships, sports, jobs, money… all have let me down through the years.
But in Psalm 18, the same Psalm which talks about God causing the earth to tremble, we read: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” Psalm 18:2.
I have experienced an earthquake and lived to blog about it. Recalling that time has reminded that when everything else in my like is quaking, God isn't. When I’m looking for something solid to stand on, God is my rock.
