AN EARTH SHATTERING EXPERIENCE

What Just Happened?

Have you ever been walking along and suddenly found yourself face down on the ground? It’s like the earth, the very ground itself, just came right out from under your feet.

This very thing happened to me this past week. I was walking on what I thought was solid, even ground; but soon found that the path I was walking on would suddenly become uneven. As I was falling to the ground, with the sidewalk quickly approaching my face, my only thoughts were, “O Lord, help me!” I was totally defenseless.

After landing on my hands and knees, it felt as if I had become paralyzed and I was afraid to move until I could assess the damage. Then a sudden sense of rush came through my entire body; while shaking, I struggled to turn over to a sitting position; but was able to do so with the help of my husband.

I was trying to gather my thoughts about what had just happened while attempting to calm myself and catch my breath. Suddenly, I broke out into a sweat and thought that I might be sick; but after removing my coat the feeling eased. 

After a couple of minutes, my breathing began to calm, the shaking slowed and I could begin to think again. It had been a very traumatic incident. Although the outcome was with minor injury; it could have been a lot worse. It also reminded me of how quickly our lives can change in a split second.

Our lives are completely unpredictable, but God remains the same. This is why we need a solid, even ground to walk on. The devil is always working to trip us up in our faith. And he’s very subtle, just like an uneven crack in the sidewalk. 

In Luke 8:5-8, Jesus told a parable about a sower who went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold. 

And. in Luke 11:14, Jesus explains as follows,  “Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the Word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the Word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”

Take the time now to know and understand God’s Word through Jesus’ teachings. If you’re unsure where to start, I recommend starting with the gospel of John and reading through Revelation. But most importantly, take it slow, and ask God to reveal to you who Jesus is and how He can help you build a strong foundation on solid ground so that you can get to know Him and trust Him. You can’t possibly trust someone you don’t know. 

Father, I pray that all who read this will want to know You more. That they will seek You in and through Your Word, Your Written Word; and that they will get to know You in a very personal and intimate way. That they will build for themselves a firm foundation as they walk the solid path to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

NOTE: Parables had a dual function: to reveal truth to the disciples or genuine seekers AND to conceal the message from enemies or those who sought to harm Jesus. The central theme in Jesus’ parables was the kingdom of God. Jesus used metaphors that would be understood by those who wanted to find meaning in His message. A parable is a slice of everyday life that teaches an eternal truth.

BIBLE, H. (2018). Mark 2. In Holy Bible: The CSB study bible for women, Teal /sage, leather touch (pp. 1360-1360). essay, HOLMAN BIBLE PUB

Scriptures today are from the CSB translation.