April 22, 2004 was a day I will never forget.  I had been to the doctor a few weeks before for my annual steroid shot to get me through my “spring allergy season”.  While I was there, Dr. Willingham said, “anything else I can help you with?” Casually I said, “you should probably know that I think there is blood in my stool.” Dr. W, “it’s probably nothing to worry about, but let’s get you in for a test and make sure all is good.” April 22 was my “test”, my colonoscopy. I remember waking up during it and seeing Dr. Patel snipping away at something. My first thought was, oh no…I have cancer. I fell back asleep and, in a bit, Dr. P woke me up and said he needed to talk to Terry and I together before I left the room. I was right. The BIG C word was the next thing that we heard. The earth gave out from underneath us both. We were at the epicenter of the cancer earthquake, but the tremors were traveling fast to our daughters, our parents, our sisters, and our friends. Earthquakes never affect only one person. They shake the ground of anyone around the epicenter. This earthquake was no exception. Our family could have crumbled, our faith could have fallen, our friends could have abandoned the ruins of our lives.  Instead during the next year, God put pieces back together and built us stronger. He used satan’s powerful earthquake to show His healing power. He took the torn down walls of our lives and reinforced them with His strength. Our damaged faith walk was repaired and used to show others the path to Jesus.  I’ve wondered many times how we got through it. How did He take our broken lives and make the repairs we needed? How did we see Him through all the destruction that seemed to surround us? How did we survive these hard times.

We all go through our personal earthquakes. You too may have had news of a disease. Maybe you have lost a spouse or a child. Divorce or news of an affair could have devasted your world. How do we get through these times of pain, suffering and shock? Looking back on my life, I think there were things that were in place that helped my family and I survive our earthquake. I want to spend some time looking at scripture, people that lived through earthquakes, and foundations we can build on that withstand the strongest earthquake in our lives. Hang on, there is a lot to cover on this subject….

EARTHQUAKES BECAUSE OF OTHER’S SIN  Paul had been a Christian for 22 years when we find him in Acts 21.  He had always been on fire for God, but before he chose to follow Christ, he had caused a lot of trouble for early Christians (Acts 7:58, Acts 9:13-14). Here was a man that had spent his life trying to undo “false religion” only to find out that what he had been clinging to was false. When he chose to follow Christ, he was all in. He immediately began to teach others (Acts 9:19-22). I find it incredible that 22 years later Paul finds himself facing people that were like him, people clinging to false religion (Acts 21). These people caused such a stir that a mob was formed. Paul was nabbed, and accusations were hurled at him. Things got so dicey that the Roman commander for that area “rescued” Paul and took him into the barracks. This rescue was not really a rescue. They planned to flog and interrogate Paul … thanks for nothing, right? (As you read on, you will see that he claimed his Roman Citizenship and was spared the flogging. He did lose his freedom though.)

Was Paul at the epicenter of an earthquake? Yes! False charges were brought against him.  False charges that caused him to be a prisoner for about 6 years. Six years of Paul’s life taken from him.

EARTHQUAKES CAUSED BECAUSE OF OUR SIN Moses caused his world to crumble.  Think back. Moses should have been murdered at birth. Midwives were told to kill all newborn boys. When they refused to, the king of Egypt ordered that all baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile River and drown (Exodus 1 & 2). God had a purpose for Moses from birth (just as He does us today). He needed Moses to become the leader of the Israelite nation. Jump forward in scripture to Exodus 33. Moses heard the voice of God (literally) at Mount Sinai a couple of times before chapter 33. In Exodus 33 God cranks it up a notch.  He has Moses not only physically hear Him, but He allows Moses to physically see Him. How many times in our lives do we want to have that experience. “If only I could see God and have Him confirm what I am about to do….”, does that sound familiar? Think about it. If anyone had a reason to completely obey God and never falter in his beliefs, it was Moses.

Turn to Numbers 20 now. Moses had been leading the people of Israel for a very long time at this point.  They had rejected the report that they could take the land of Canaan, so they were experiencing the first “wilderness trek”…a 40 year trek. The Israelites had been cared for during this time, but water was scarce. God told Moses to speak to a rock and He would have water pour out. Moses, the man who had seen God face to face, decided he had a better way. Speaking did not seem like enough. He needed a little more drama to show his power and leadership. (I’ll go out on a limb here, but this seems like a sin of pride…”I got this God, let ME show them who you are.) So, Moses in his wisdom struck the rock for the water to pour out. His sin was the epicenter of his earthquake. Moses’ whole life was built around leading the Israelites. God had given him everything he needed to be an incredible leader, but Moses wanted to do things his way. This sin caused him the very thing that he had worked and planned a lifetime for. He would not enter the Promised Land because of his sin.

Sometimes our sin earthquake can be pinpointed to a single event like it was with Moses.  Other times sin sneaks in gradually.  With each “house we build”, we move closer and closer to a known fault line. We become numb to the warnings around us.  After all, we have never seen an earthquake during our lifetime. The “fault line” is probably some exaggerated science that someone fabricated because they want that beautiful piece of property for their selves. Does that sound familiar? The Israelites found themselves in just that situation. Look at the book of Micah.

BUILDING ON A FAULTLINE  Reading a book like Micah is always a little tough for me.  Sometimes I get lost in the analogies that are written. One thing that comes through loud and clear though is that Israel had become so accustomed to the pagan lives around them that they no longer looked or acted different from them. They participated in idol worship (Micah 1). They coveted what others had and took it from them, they believed false prophets, and turned on each other (all in Micah 2). They trusted their wealth (Micah 6). They searched for satisfaction in gifts, bribes and power, but did not find it (Micah 7). Do you recognize any of this? In today’s world we struggle with the same things. Idol worship– new clothes, sports, car? Coveting– wishing for the house you see when you drive by and putting yourself on a path to get one better than that? Believed false prophets– Is it easier to listen to “what makes us feel good” or “what makes us grow spiritually”? Do we spend time seeking God and a relationship with Him, so we can discern what is false? Turning on each other– division in churches and families, speaking bad of others to make yourself look better? Trusting their wealth– wait, now you are getting personal…. I’m not like Scrooge. Stop and ask yourself, do I turn to God in my time of crisis or do I try to find a way I can manage it? Do I use my money to influence people and outcomes to my advantage? Is my money something that is used to intimidate others? (Why do I live the lifestyle that I live? Is it to glorify God?) Last they searched for satisfaction in wealth, bribes and power– where do I find my satisfaction? Is it in God alone? Can we echo what Paul said,“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”(Philippians 4:11-13)

It is so easy to build on a fault line.  Everything around us is pagan. Don’t think for a minute that satan is sitting idly by and letting you just be. No! He is active. If there is not a frontal attack, he is attacking within. Is it a coincidence that we are more comfortable all the time with the sin we see in our media? Is it a coincidence that we accept more and more sin as “that’s just the way it is?” Look at an incident in the life of Abraham. In Genesis 12 hardship in the form a famine came on Abraham. He and his beautiful wife, Sarah went to Egypt. A place of pagan worship and lifestyles. When they arrived, Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife. They told everyone that she was his sister. The short version – God inflicted disease on Pharaoh, Abraham and Sarah were sent on their way with lots of gifts, which included sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels…and oh by the way, servants.

You may be thinking wow! It turned out great for Abraham and Sarah. I don’t see how the Faultline affected them at all. I disagree. Because Abraham built on the Faultline, he had trouble with his nephew, Lot. His wealth of animals caused division between them and their families. Don’t forget this little tidbit. Abraham later took one of Sarah’s servants and got her pregnant. That very child, Ishmael, not only caused problems for Abraham and his family, but Ishmael’s descendants have caused problems for every generation that has followed. Abraham and Sarah going to Egypt seemed like a simple act to avoid the famine. BUT in doing so, they became accustomed to “ways of life” that affected their spiritual walk. There was no frontal attack from satan. He attacked them from within. Have you gotten comfortable with things around you? Is your life (your temple – 1 Corinthians 3:16) built close to the fault line? Are you making decisions that will cause your faith to crumble?

Earthquakes are a part of our lives. The decisions that we make each day determine how we live through the earthquake that crumbled everything around us. We can start avoiding the epicenter of them by avoiding sin and removing ourselves from the Faultline of life. Pay attention to what you have become comfortable with. Ask God to show you where you need to change your focus from so you can become more in tuned to Him.

Blessings – Cherie

 This is part 1 of a 2-part blog. Stay tuned for the next one coming soon.