My last blog, A Pebble at a Time, focused on Mark 11:23 which says, “I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” I talked about that sometimes our mountains before us move a pebble at a time, instead of with one giant leap. 

Today, I believe God wants to draw our hearts to the impact of a moving mountain. If you stop and think about it, there are whole scientific disciplines that study the impact of the earth moving like seismology. Earthquakes are caused by shifting plates. What kind of earthquake may be caused by a moving mountain? 

A HUGE ONE I would guess! Wouldn’t you?

We so want the mountain to move we do not understand or even consider the impact and ramifications of the moving mountain. We want the mountain to move and picture the splash into the ocean, but don’t image calling in the emergency relief teams, or disaster relief teams, we don’t even picture calling in a lifeguard

Yet when a mountain moves there will likely be an earthquake. Oh that we would understand the impact and consider the words of the prayers that we pray. If you have lived through sickness, loss, addictions and the like, you probably have experienced that before the situation improves, sometimes it gets worse first. 

I believe that is what God wants us to learn and understand, just because we see in front of us the earthquakes that are caused by the mountain he is working to move in our life, doesn’t mean he is not working. 

I believe he wants us to learn that even though what we are facing today may look worse than it did yesterday there is still hope. Let me encourage you with this verse,

Psalm 30:5b, “Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Worse before better.

Does this statement make you uneasy? Are you wondering, really? How could what I am going through get much worse? I am by no means suggesting that every situation happens this way. And maybe you are in the middle of “worse” right now and I pray you just hang on, because God’s got you, and He is moving the mountain regardless of how shaky the ground below you may feel. 

What if the shaky ground was a sure sign that he was on the move and working to bring about change, transformation and freedom?

Did you know that when Jesus took his last breath on the cross it caused the earth to quake?

“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” Matthew 27:18

Did you know that just before the stone was rolled away from Jesus grave by the angel, there was an earthquake? 

“And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.” Matthew 28:2

Did you know that an earthquake broke prison doors and the chains that held the prisoners in Acts?

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” Acts 16:26

You may be in the middle of an earthquake today. You may feel like the ground beneath you is faltering. Perhaps you may even feel like God has left you, all alone, hiding under the kitchen table waiting for the roof to cave in on you. Brother, sister, you are not alone in the middle of the quaking ground. I lift you up, I lift up your aching heart, your fears, your insecurity, your doubt and pray this prayer over you.

Mountains be moved, we cry out! But Lord help us to have a tender heart to be aware of the impact of our prayers. Help us not to wish away the earthquake but for the quaking to remind us that you are on the move Lord, Jesus!  Help us not to lose faith in you and doubt your presence when our legs are trembling beneath us.

Help us to lay hold of you, and remember the countless times you have come through for us. Remind us of the resurrection of Jesus, the freedom of the prisoners and Jesus conquering death. Remind us that the earthquake was a sign you were at work in all of these situations and therefore you are at work in our lives as well.

God will you be glorified as our hearts cling to you through the hardest of days, and when we continue to trust in you even though we cannot see how you are working or see the mountain moving. Amen and amen!