Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
I am certainly not alone in being transfixed by the news of the massive earthquake that devastated central Italy this past week. As of this writing, the death toll has risen to just shy of 250 people. It is virtually guaranteed that this number will rise even further. Regardless of the detachment because of distance and unfamiliarity, we are all move by this terrible destruction, and we definitely need to include in our prayers a mention of these fellow human beings. It is difficult to imagine the pain and trial that they are suffering right now.
There is something to be said about foundations. We walk and drive along this earth with nary a concern for its volatility (well, at least in our part of the world). I can say for sure that I have never once concerned myself with the possibility that the earth may all of a sudden begin shifting under my feet. It is simply not a thing that occupies my thoughts. I am convinced of the solidity of the ground upon which I stand—so much so that worries about its foundations shifting are completely foreign to my mind.
Reliance upon the word of God, and in particular the earthly manifestation of that word in Jesus Christ, is essential for people in order that we have the true security that God intends us to have. Relationships will shake and shatter. Tried and true earthly connections will ultimately prove themselves to be faulty. Even the earth itself will sometimes betray us as it roils and shifts. The one thing that never fails— that is always solid and firm—is the word of God in Jesus Christ.
May each of us meditate upon it as we cherish it in all its richness and unfathomable depth.
–Ricky