“And suddenly, there was a great earthquake.” Matt. 28:24
I am struck by how God can cause the earth to quake and suddenly change the trajectory of what is happening. In each biblical reference of an earthquake occurring, there appeared to be an impossible situation and things were final –lights out – and as my dad use to say, “that’s all she wrote.” And then we read, “but suddenly,” and everything changes. Time and again in scripture we read about men and women of faith who were facing death, famine, or some other life peril and then at 11:59 and counting, God shows up and suddenly alters the course of events and delivers. In many of the situations God sends an angel who emerges from a quake to guide, direct, and bring a message of hope and re-direct the course of events.
Unlike with other natural disasters, earthquakes come with no warning and they shake up life as you knew it. They rock the foundation you thought was secure and you’re left with destruction from which you must make decisions about.
I opened with talking about literal earthquakes, but an earthquake doesn’t have to be an external one. It can be any devastating event in our lives that suddenly alters how life is going. We commonly call it a crisis. Whether it’s the death of loved one, a divorce, a diagnosis that carries a bleak prognosis, or a wayward child, it rocks our foundation and alters the trajectory of the course we were on.
In those earthquake moments, it’s important to be open to God being in the midst. We can’t get stuck in the why. It will always be a dead end; and even if you knew the “why”, it wouldn’t change the situation. Replace the “why” with “what”. What is God trying to show me, do with me, say to me; and be open to the angels He sends to help you restore hope and re-build your life in a new way.
Hebrews 13:2 states “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.” In that same passage of Hebrews, God promises that He will never leave us or forsake us, so however bleak the situation or how big the obstacle is you may be facing, remember God sees, hears, and says “I am with you.” Have faith, hold on, trust that God has not forsaken you, and expect to be amazed by what the God of suddenly will do.
Peace and Blessings,
Gail