Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. (Ps. 114:7)
MANY SAN FRANCISCANS were still in bed at 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906. But the earthquake that hit at 5:13 a.m. and the devastating fires that followed it changed their lives. Even with steel frameworks, City Hall, and many other buildings crashed to the ground. The fire chief was one of the quake’s first victims, dying from injuries caused by falling rubble. The water mains ruptured, leaving few resources for fighting the fires. By the time the disaster was over, 80 percent of the city of San Francisco had been destroyed.
Built with heavy brick buttresses and inner columns reinforced with iron cores, Grace (Episcopal) Church was thought to be quake-proof. And it was. When the Episcopal bishop of California walked through the city later that morning, he found Grace Church standing tall and proud, with minimal damage. But his relief was short-lived. Grace did not survive the fires that swept the city afterward.
As Matthew 6:19–20 reminds us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” If we put our trust in earthly things, we will be disappointed. There is only one foundation that remains firm, and that is Christ Jesus.
Even the earth trembles before God, so rest your faith on Jesus, the only firm foundation.
Ask yourself where you put your trust.
Kathryn Page Camp enjoys photography, reading, and sailing Lake Michigan with her husband of thirty-five years.