Many years ago when my wife and I lived in the church's doublewide trailer, I had a 55- gallon salt-water fish tank. When the washing machine was turned on, it would shake the house. For some time I was concerned if it would affect the tank. One night about 3 am, I heard an explosion of water. I sat straight up in the bed knowing what it was. The pressure of the water had found a weak panel of glass in my aquarium. My fish experienced their own "tsunami." I stooped down and began to pick them up one by one.
God says, "I will shake all nations." (Haggai 2:7) I believe there is more shaking to come in the final days here on earth. God will use tough times to wake up people in their lostness. Over my years in ministry, I've observed most people come to Christ in a crisis or in a dilemma.
The Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus while teaching in the temple courts. They said; "The law says to stone her, what do you say?" Jesus knew that if He didn't agree they would accuse Him of false doctrine, But if He did agree they could accuse Him of sedition. Rome had abolished the capital crime in 30 AD. The Jews could no longer stone someone for this crime. What would Jesus do?
Jesus smelled something fishy. This woman was being publicly humiliated and busted in front of a huge crowd. They were out to trap Jesus. He stoops down and begins to write on the ground. He stands and says; "He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone." None of us knows what He wrote on the ground but one by one the accusers dropped their stones and walked away. Jesus said, "Woman where are your accusers?" She said; "There are none." Jesus said, "Go and sin no more."
In this woman's brokenness, Jesus puts all the pieces of her life back together. She is on the edge of losing her life, but Jesus comes to her rescue and changes her forever. Who do you know that the world or even the church has given up on? Do you have a friend, a son, a daughter, a co-worker that you too have said; "They're hopeless." My friend I don't believe that there has ever been anyone yet that God didn't love and couldn't change and transform.
Jesus is the healer, the cleanser, and the restorer, the God who makes all things new. I was able to take my aquarium into the shop, they replaced the weak broken glass panel, and the fish were able to move back to a stronger and more secure place than before.
God really does care about those in our reach. Do we really love our neighbors in their own brokenness? Look around; it's not too hard to find someone who is being shattered in their own tsunami. Will you and I take the time to stoop down and pick them up one by one? Come on, we can make a difference in someone's life today.
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