These are crazy days in which we all find ourselves. It’s hard to get away from the news headlines following what many are calling an unprecedented presidential debate. No matter what side of the aisle you are on, it feels like the ground underneath us is shaking.
I have felt such shaking a couple of times in my life, where the literal ground underneath was completely unstable. One was during the worst storm I have ever experienced, back in 1982. In fact, I wrote about that experience in a column published here four years ago.
The second time was during a fairly significant earthquake, also in Indiana, in my hometown of Evansville. Who knew back then that we were sitting on a pretty substantial natural fault line, and the earthquake was more than just a rattle in our home. It was flat-out scary, with a “whole lotta shakin’ going on!”
In such times in my life, whether that shaking is literal, or figurative, I have found refuge in my faith in Jesus, and comfort in holding God’s word firmly in my heart. In fact, that is a real benefit in memorizing Scripture, as doing so opens the way for the immediate recalling of His words, trusting in His ever-present hand to guide us over and through those troubling moments.
Recalling memorized Scripture is exactly what I did when Cindy and I received the scariest news from a doctor, when we learned that our unborn child had a fatal condition. That is what I clung to in that aforementioned piece—the experience of being in a high-rise building in that storm and its “mother cloud” of tornadoes.
It is what held my heart together as I watched the horrors of September 11, 2001, unfold. And, it has taken me through countless serious sicknesses and accidents surrounding my children.
We must remember that while our lives may shake us up a bit, God is never moved off course or caught off-guard. He is like the tree, planted by the water. He shall not be moved. Plus, He has promised to see us through, whatever the felt threat may be.
The Bible challenges us with these words:
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
1 Corinthians 15:58
Even though the world is shaking around us, the steadfast love of God is securely holding my heart and mind.