Hole in floor sliderThe fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the wild beasts, all the things that creep on the ground, and all people who live on the face of the earth will shake at my presence. The mountains will topple, the cliffs will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground. (Ezekiel 38:20)

Dani and I lived for a while in the California foothills on top of 370 miles of abandoned gold rush mines. In the neighboring town of Alta, a thirty two year old schoolteacher, Jason Chellew, plunged to his death when a twenty foot sinkhole opened beneath his living room. Imagine sitting in front of the TV when the world groans, then falls away.

At first I thought, this guy must have done something that angered God. Then I realized that what happened to Jason will be my destiny too. According to Scripture the world will fall away for every human, then we will face God.

There are only two ways off of this rock, Jesus returns or we die. Either way, it’ll be a shock to find ourselves before the great white throne. To prepare, as soon as our eyes flutter open each morning, we need to choose where we’ll stand when it all cuts loose. As Jason Chellew knows with certainty, it’s not a decision that can be postponed until we’re tumbling through the air. 

I know some who are relying on a flimsy insurance policy to save them when the floor drops out. Years ago they prayed to receive Christ or were baptized at some point in time. Maybe their signature on that waiver will save them, maybe it won’t. Personally, I can’t live with that uncertainty.

Jesus taught us to pray like the sinning rascal in his illustrative story, “The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’” (Luke 18:13) The Lord assured us that this man went to his home justified.

Not only do I daily pray, “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner,” but I’m also living that prayer from my heart. God’s faithfulness to answer my plea is what lets me sleep each night. I know when the big crumble hits I will land directly in his arms.

Prayer: Gracious Father, get ready to catch this sinner.