This is part 2 of a 2-part blog. If you missed part 1, look back at Following His Footprints 

HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR EARTHQUAKES?  In 2004 when our family was shaken and tossed around with the “cancer” earthquake, we were able to withstand it. Going back and looking at it with 20/20 vision, it is obvious that it was not of our own power. It was a lifetime of building on God and His promises. It was seeking God at every turn. It was the teaching that we had received as children and teachings that we had taught to our children. It was brothers and sisters in Christ rallying around us in prayer and encouragement. This whole analogy had me do a little research.  How do buildings stand when shaken by earthquakes? After all, we are a temple…a building that God lives in.  There must be something we can learn from physical structures.

LEARN FROM TREMORS  Peter is such a good example of this.  Both Matthew 26 and Luke 22 tell of Peter’s betrayal of our Lord. Here is a man who watched Jesus perform miracles…even his walking on water was a miracle. He obeyed Jesus when instructions seemed odd. Peter professed he would follow Jesus to death. He cut off a man’s ear in the garden of Gethsemane to prove it. This man, a man that wrote books in the Bible, had to learn from the tremors of the earthquake that shook the world. Turn to Luke 22:54-62. Peter denied Jesus. Openly. Close enough to Jesus that Jesus heard his denial. OUCH! The rooster crowd and Peter immediately knew that he did just as Jesus predicted. When Jesus was arrested the earth around him shook. Instead of Peter stabilizing himself on God, he reached out and grabbed a lie. A lie that crumbled in front of him.

Thank God that Peter found stable ground and reinforced his temple, his building. Seven weeks after Peter denied Christ, he boldly spoke to a great crowd on the day of Pentecost. How was he able to do that?

• He repented and was sorrowful for what he had done. Luke 22:62
• He stayed with other believers. Yes, they were all shaken but they knew what they had experienced and seen. Peter leaned on that. When he heard of the resurrection of Jesus, he ran back to the tomb to see for himself. I can only imagine his thoughts while running to the tomb. “Is this what Jesus was discussing when he said, in three days the temple would be built again?” (my version of his thoughts) Luke 24:12
• He sought time with Jesus. It was during this time that Jesus opened the apostles mind and helped them to understand the things he had been teaching them during the last 3 years. Luke 24:44-59

Let’s take the analogy of preparing our “building (temple)” a little bit deeper in preparing for the earthquakes. The first thing my quick search told me is that buildings have to be reinforced with concrete and steel. Buildings that are built with base isolation withstand earthquakes better than those that do not have it.

BUILDINGS WITH BASE ISOLATION  Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, the foundation of our faith (Isa 28:16, 1 Cor 3:11). There is a vivid description of how strong this cornerstone is in Matthew 7:24-27. To withstand an earthquake (or a storm as in Matthew 7 states), you must have a belief in Jesus Christ for your foundation.

Once the foundation is laid, you need to add base isolation. If I understand correctly, base isolation on a building works very similar to a car suspension. Just as with a car going over a rough road and the occupants are not tossed violently, base isolation “absorbs” the harsh movement of the earth below the building. What does that look like in my daily walk? I think it is the work of the Spirit.  It is the Spirit that guides us, intercedes for us, and will make known God’s plan for us. (Romans 8:26-27, John 16:13-15). It is through Him that we are able to navigate the unknown of the earthquake.  Back to my story, it is through The Spirit’s guidance that we found the oncologist I needed and my surgeon…both were doing “cutting edge” medicine. Both doctors were brought to us in “extraordinary ways.  It was through The Spirit that I groaned and cried when I was uncertain, and He took my pain and worry straight to God when I could not find the words.  It was The Spirit that brought people into my life to encourage me, help me defeat fear and face each new step of treatment. Yes, the foundation of Jesus Christ is strong and secure, but we cannot discount the work of The Holy Spirit. He is who absorbs the shock and pain of our earthquake.

BUILDINGS HAVE CONCRETE W/ STEEL  Just as important as having a building that can “absorb” the shocks of the earthquake, the walls of the building must be strong.  These walls are made of concrete and steel. If the builders understand that walls need to be reinforced to withstand the shocks of an earthquake, what do we need to do to reinforce our walls so that we can withstand spiritual earthquakes?

We need time with God. We need to put His word on your heart.

• Psalms 119:33-35, “Lord, teach me your demands,and I will keep them until the end. Help me understand, so I can keep your teachings,
  obeying them with all my heart.  Lead me in the path of your commands, because that makes me happy.”

We need to put what we learn into practice. I love the way the message words these scriptures.

• Luke 6:46-49“Why are you so polite with me, always saying ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘That’s right, sir,’ but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss.”

We need to pray for wisdom and guidance. I love the way the message encourages us in this:

• Matthew 6:6 “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to since his grace.
• In Matthew 14:23 Jesus gives us an example of time alone with our Father. “With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.”

We need to be obedient. If we are obedient when there is no earthquake, we can be obedient in the midst of the earthquake around us. The Experiencing God Workbook by Blackaby, Blackaby and King, page 191.I “In scripture when God did something through obedient people, they came to know Him in new and more intimate ways.” Think about it. How was Abraham able to go and “sacrifice Isaac”? How did Noah build the ark in the midst of ridicule and hardship? How was Gideon able to trust God that just a few men could defeat a large army? It was because they were obedient in their daily walk so they knew God would get them through the earthquake they were facing. They knew that He had been faithful and would continue to be if they obeyed Him in the tough time. God told Joshua in Joshua 1:7 to be strong, courageous and OBEDIENT. It was because Joshua chose to be obedient that he could march around the walls of Jericho in imminent danger and be confident in God’s deliverance.

In 1989, San Francisco was rocked by an earthquake. People got up that day thinking they would continue on in their life routine. But they were are at the epicenter of a life changing event. Sixty-three people lost their lives. Three thousand five hundred people were injured. Homes, businesses, bridges, and highways were destroyed or badly damaged. We never know when our earthquake of life will hit. We need to prepare today to be able to withstand the earthquake of tomorrow. Think about where you are building your temple/house? Consider what you are doing to reinforce the walls of your life to strengthen them.  Make sure your temple is built on a solid foundation, one that will absorb the shock of the quake. As the words of a children’s songs say, “So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

 Be blessed – Cherie