Over the past few days, as we've seen or heard in the news and even felt firsthand, our region especially Cebu, has been shaken – quite literally. A very powerful earthquake struck us, followed by thousand continuous aftershocks. As a result, homes were damaged, families were forced into open spaces, people are restless and afraid to sleep indoors, and even countless lives were lost. A very tragic and traumatic thing to experience.


    It is one thing to watch on the news about earthquakes happening in our neighboring countries and even in our neighboring cities, but when the ground itself shakes under your feet, when your children tremble in fear, when walls start to crack, thinking this may be your last – we are, then, reminded of how fragile our life is. And while the ground has been shaking here, the whole nation has also been shaking in another sense.


    In our government, massive corruption is being uncovered from overpriced projects in the infrastructure sector to even “ghost projects” that never existed. While thousands suffer from calamities, trillions of pesos meant for protection and development have been lost to greed. It is as if the moral foundation of our nation is trembling and collapsing.


    The earth shakes beneath us, and the trust in our leaders crumbles before us. Where, then, do we find hope when everything feels unstable? Where do we turn when both creation and society are being shaken? Psalm 46 gives us a sure answer that it is not in ourselves, not in our leaders, not in any earthly security, but in God Himself, revealed fully in our Lord Jesus Christ.



I. First, the psalmist begins with confidence: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Then in the following verses, he pictures the earth giving way, mountains falling, waters roaring. These are images of earthquakes and floods.


        In the days of the psalmist, castles and fortresses were made, and gates and walls were built to protect the people from enemies and ensure their security. It was also used as a fortress from calamities and disasters. 


        However, we can also read in the Bible that castles can be sieged, gates and walls can be easily crushed, and fortresses destroyed. But the mountain was considered one of the most stable parts of creation. The purpose of the mountain is to be unshakeable, immovable, and to stand tall. So, if even the mountains fall, if even the mountains tremble or are thrown into the heart of the sea, then nothing really feels secure anymore. This is literally what we've experienced during the past few days – the ground itself is being shaken. And our natural response as human beings is to fear, and we do all that we can to seek refuge and protect ourselves in any way. Our natural reaction when these disasters happen is to feel fear. And yet the psalmist says in verse 2 that even if the mountains tremble or thrown into the heart of the sea, "we will not fear."


        Why? What is this confidence that the psalmist has? In saying that, even if the unmovable trembles, we will not fear. It is not because the quake is small or weak, but because God’s presence in our lives is greater – "He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."


        In the New Testament, this finds fulfillment in Christ. He is called “Immanuel, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He came down to dwell among us and enter into our frailty, even to suffer and die on the cross. And by His resurrection, He showed His power over creation itself. Because for those of us who are in Christ, our greatest quake, our greatest trouble has already happened – the justice of God fell on Jesus at the cross. He absorbed the wrath that should have fallen on us. So when we face disasters now, we do so knowing that our eternal security has already been settled in Him.


        Therefore, though the earth shakes, in Christ we can say: “We will not fear.”


II. Secondly, verse 6 says: “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter.” - Doesn’t this sound like our nation today? The exposure of corruption shows us that human systems are fragile, and everyone is prone to greed and selfishness. But verse 7 declares: “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” - While our governments falter, God’s covenant faithfulness stands. He was faithful to Jacob and Israel, and He remains faithful to His people today.


        Again, we point to Christ, that even if our nation is crumbling and our leaders are faltering - Christ is the true King - His kingship is not like corrupt rulers who exploit and deceive. He rules with justice, truth, and mercy.


        The corruption we see in our leaders today is rooted in the human heart. Jesus said in Mark 7 that evil comes from within: our greed, our deceit, and our pride. It comes from our depravity, it comes from the very nature of our fallenness. The exposure of national corruption is a reminder of our personal corruption, our depravity. But here is the good news: at the cross, Jesus bore the guilt of sinners so that all who repent and believe are forgiven and made new. So while we rightly demand accountability in government, our deepest hope is not in new policies or in new leaders, not even in all these hearings and investigations happening, but in the gospel of Christ, which alone changes hearts. It is in Christ alone that our filthy hearts are changed.


III. Finally, God speaks, in verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” This is not just about personal peace, or something to calm ourselves in the midst of turmoil, or even a simple mantra that we adhere to. It is a command to surrender, it is a command to be still, and a command to know your God. To stop striving to think that we can control outcomes in anything. It means trusting God’s sovereign hand in disasters, political turmoil, and even in our daily suffering.


        And these points us again to Christ. On the cross, He accomplished the greatest victory – not by striving or military power, but by surrendering His life. By His death and resurrection, He has secured salvation for His people and guaranteed that His name will be exalted among the nations.


        So when God says, “Be still,” brothers, He is not calling us to ignore corruption or disasters and just be passive about it, but to rest in the knowledge that through Christ’s work, God is already bringing about His purposes and that He will fulfill all of His purposes.


        Now I leave you with both an encouragement and a reminder that our calling is to trust Him amidst suffering and disasters, to live in integrity amidst the corrupt and evil, and to proclaim His gospel faithfully.



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Author: Janrue Dizon Binueza
Member of MCF-Cebu