Storm Advisory/ Aftermath

 25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:25-28

I spent last night at a friend's home. There were warnings on an unusually violent front pushing through, with over 100 tornados attributed to it, including a devasting EF-5 in Joplin, MO. As I prepared to leave home for the shelter of a safer place, I looked behind me where our belongings were, prayed, and wondered if it would be the last time I ever set foot there. The storms came, with lightning strikes exceeding 1400 strikes per hour, driving winds, and rain, but we were spared from a tornado. On the way back to our still-standing-by-the-grace-of-God home though, there were trees down - those with shallow root systems uprooted, with branches broken off- many of which looked healthy on the outside, but inside were rotted and hollow, and debris of what could not survive was scattered everywhere, making my 5 minute drive take twice as long. The morning has brought cool temperatures, clean ozone-like aromas, and only the sounds of chirping birds.

We are in a time of great shaking, the beginning of the birth pangs are here. These are the times to set our root systems deep, to be (or to become) rooted and grounded, because without this we will not, we cannot stand. The metaphor of the trees uprooted is clear, and imagery almost shocking. Stout and otherwise healthy looking, respectable up to moments before, but having shallow roots, and rotted inside, when the trials of storm came, they were destroyed suddenly and without remedy.
Beloved, the only place that is unshakeable is to hide our lives -hearts, minds, soul, and spirit- in The Rock, Messiah Yeshua, Jesus the Christ. Everything else is sinking sand, run to the Strong Tower today.