The images of the devastation in Japan as a result of the earthquakes and subsequent tsunami are breathtaking. New video surfaces nearly every day to show the destruction, particularly the walls of water that washed away houses, cars, towns, and unknown numbers of human lives. As of the writing of this devotional, more than 8,000 people are still missing. Losses are incalculable. Comparisons have been made between the immediate post-war devastation in Japan as a result of the explosion of two atomic bombs, and the desolate landscape created by the earthquake and tsunami. From the safety of our living rooms as we watch these stories, it seems so far away, so unreal.
The Psalmist speaks in our text today of the threats brought about by changing landscapes. He writes, "God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in times of trouble. So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea, even if the oceans roar and foam, or the mountains shake at the raging sea." There are many things in this life that we cannot control. The elements of nature are surely evidence of this. There comes a point by faith where we learn to trust what we cannot control into the hands of God, knowing that God will not be shaken, threatened, or fearful, particularly in the midst of our own terror.
The Psalmist's admonition is worth hearing and playing over again and again in our minds..."Be still and know that I am God." There is much that worries and frightens us in this world. Faith does not ensure that our lives will not be touched by such struggles. The living God, however, does promise to walk bedside us, to be our refuge and strength...even if the earth shakes; even if the oceans roar and foam. For today, that is enough.
Jim Abernathy
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