SHAKEN, YET UNSHAKEN

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Ps. 62:1-2

Even though I saw the videos, it is impossible to for me to comprehend the terror of Japan’s destructive earthquake and devastating tsunami this past week. Japanese are viewed as an unshakeable people who calmly deal with earthquakes and go on about their business. This time, however, was different. A proud, unshakeable people have been shaken to the core.

With the memories of other devastating earthquakes still fresh in our minds, the temptation is to try to interpret (usually misinterpret) what it all means. Could these be the signs of famines and earthquakes Jesus said would mark the beginning of the end times? It’s possible, but we do not know for sure. We must guard against making too much or too little of that which we do not fully understand. Some things, however, are clear.

We certainly know, for example, that Jesus commanded us to stay alert and keep watch. Famines and earthquakes are only one piece of those things for which we are to watch (read Matt. 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21). We also know that, though the earth may shake and tsunamis envelope us, those who fear God, put their hope in the Lord, and rest in Him will not be shaken. The writer of Hebrews says it like this: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28-29)

It is easy to shout “amen” when our world is not crumbling under an earthquake or being swept away by a tsunami. Still, that does not change what is true—that those who fear God and put their hope in Christ are part of an unshakeable kingdom. If we have not seized upon this truth already, when an earthquake occurs it will be too late to rest in it or to teach it to our children and grandchildren. We must believe it now and grab the opportunity to engage our grandchildren with the truth about the unshakeable faith and hope within us, and staying alert to the signs of the times. They must know that when the earth does shake and they are hated because of their faith, they will remain unshaken in Christ who is their rock and their salvation.

GRANDPAUSE: The illusion of “unsafe” keeps people on the sidelines, held back by their fears from the impact they could be having.” Dan Wooley, Unshaken: Rising From the Ruins of Haiti’s Hotel Montana