Hope in the earthquakes of life

As I was reading my Bible this morning God was speaking this so powerfully and intimately to me.

This is what I heard Him saying…

He broke down the walls, he set fire to the temple, every important building he burned down.- 2 Kings 25:9-10

When I first read this I just thought-- okay God is tearing down to rebuild the temple.  But at a closer glance-- WE are that temple.  And Yes, HE is tearing down to rebuild, from the ruins, to the rebirth.  God is breaking down our walls, setting fire to the temples (our bodies are the temple of God- 1 Corinthians 6:19).  He is putting us through the refining fire to purify us and make us more like Him. He is burning down every important "building" (high, lofty, proud thing or thought that sets itself up against the knowledge of God- 2 Corinthians 10:5).  

That is powerful.  I see God's hand moving and doing this in my life, as well as many of my closest friend's lives.  What a promise that He gives us BEAUTY from ashes.  A new creation from the rubble, the pain, the trials and the ruins of life.  I had a crazy dream last night about an earthquake.  It was a dream within a dream.  I was running from the earthquake in the first dream.  Then I woke up in another dream trying to awaken, thinking the first dream was God warning me of a REAL earthquake.  I could not, however, get myself out of bed (in the second dream).  But I felt the quake all around me and couldn't run outside, or away from it.  I was in the midst of it.  Then when I actually woke up this morning my devotional was about God shaking the earth to BREAK all of my chains off.  Amazing.  He was preparing my heart in those dreams.  I read about Paul and Silas singing and praising God with theirs voices and the earth quaking all around them and breaking their chains.  Their worship set them free.  God shook the earth and everything around them, until it anything that was not of Him fell off.

*Interesting side note: did you know that there are earthquakes happening around us, all the time, that we don't even notice?!  So I checked out this website and found out there had been one only forty minutes ago.  Check it out: http://earthquaketrack.com/us-ca-san-jose/recent

Then I continued on with reading, and this popped out to me. 

2 Kings 25:28-30

He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kinds who were with him in Babylon.  So Jehoiachin put aside his PRISON clothes and for the REST of his life ate regularly at the king's table. DAY BY DAY (ODAT) the KING gave him a regular allowance as long as he lived.

WOW. That's a Word.  Dad by day, one day at a time, the KING of KINGS is providing for us.  Our every need.  He granted us grace and true freedom to truly take off our prison clothes for the rest of our lives.  Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.  He has given us access to His inheritance and set us at His royal table.  Spoken kindly to us and given us a seat of honor.  This is just my human opinion and what I felt God speaking to me through these verses.  The Word of God is living and active- Hebrews 4:12.  Ask Him to speak to you through His God-breathed Word, and HE WILL. 

Turn to the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength- 2 Kings 23:25