| “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. |
| —Isaiah 54:10 |
Whenever we think about earthquakes in the United States, we immediately think of California. In fact, many comedians have included California earthquake jokes in their repertoire:
“Someday, during a earthquake, California is gonna detach from the mainland, float out into the Pacific Ocean, and disappear.”
That joke is not funny for those Californians who have lived through an earthquake. In fact, one of the most devastating earthquakes in modern times took place in 1906 in San Francisco. Of the many results of that quake and the subsequent fires was the fact that, unable to pay the enormous claims, 97 insurance companies went out of business, creating an enormous financial crisis.
But, did you know that the most active seismic area in the United States is located in the middle portion of our country? Geologists call it the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). Based on extensive research, and on written records from oral descriptions passed down through generations of indigenous people regarding seismic activity many centuries ago, the NMSZ is located in southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, and southern Illinois. In addition, Southwestern Indiana and northwestern Mississippi are also close enough to receive significant shaking from large earthquakes occurring in the NMSZ.
Most people thought that, if they stayed out of California, the chance of significant earthquakes was greatly reduced. Yet here, in the very center of our country, lies the most potentially deadly earthquake zone that would affect literally millions upon millions of our citizens.
No one—absolutely no one—wants to endure such shaking. And, that’s equally true when it comes to a shaking in our emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical lives. We want to rest on a secure foundation with no possibility of being tossed to and fro. That is exactly what lead the Prophet Isaiah to report the following words from God, as found in Isaiah 54:10:
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
God’s agape love is unshakeable. His foundation is secure. His covenant will not become nullified. We can totally rest on the solid rock of His mercy, grace, and love. There is no “New Madrid Seismic Zone” in the Kingdom of God.
