Off the Richter

Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids

Bible Reading: Psalms 97:1-6; 104:31-35; Revelation 1:4-7

Enzo was watching TV when he saw small ripples appear in his glass of juice. A moment later, he felt slight vibrations throughout his body, as though someone had just started a car he was sitting in. "Mom!" Enzo yelled as he ran into the kitchen. "The floor is shaking!"

"Quick," said Mom, "under the table!" They scooted underneath the large kitchen table and stayed there several minutes until the rumblings deep in the earth below them stopped.

Once it was safe, they climbed back out, and Mom flipped on the news. "The earthquake we felt was 4.8 on the Richter scale," she said. "There were some buildings in the area with minor damage, but it wasn't very strong, and no one was hurt."

"We learned about the Richter scale in school," said Enzo. "It has numbers between one and ten that measure how strong an earthquake is."

"That's right," said Mom. "A 4.8 is considered a light earthquake."

"It didn't feel light," said Enzo. "It was scary!"

"Yes, earthquakes scare me too," said Mom. "When I feel one, I'm afraid it might damage our house or our town--or worse, hurt you or someone else. But earthquakes also remind me how powerful and holy God is and that He is in control of everything."

"How do earthquakes remind you of that?" asked Enzo.

"The Bible says that the earth trembles before the Lord," Mom replied. "Even though the huge tectonic plates that make up the earth below us seem incredibly powerful and unpredictable to us, God has complete control over them. There's no scale to measure how powerful He is. He's off the Richter."

"So the earth trembles before the Lord, just like I tremble in an earthquake?" asked Enzo.

Mom laughed. "Do you mean you tremble because you're scared or because you're shaking along with the ground?"

Enzo thought a moment. "Both!"

"Earthquakes are powerful forces of nature, but they're nowhere near as powerful as God," said Mom. "He has control over the entire universe, and yet He loves us and sent His Son to die for our sins. One day, the whole world will see His power when Jesus comes again to judge sin, but those who trust in Him have nothing to fear."

Enzo smiled. "What a great God."

–Courtney Lasater

How About You?
Have you ever seen something so powerful it made you afraid? Whatever it was, God had complete control over it--He's more powerful than anything you can imagine. One day, all people on earth will see His power like never before when Jesus comes again, but those whose sins have been forgiven will have nothing to fear. Are you one of those people? If not, trust in Jesus today. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)
Today's Key Verse:
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. (NIV) (Psalm 96:9)
Today's Key Thought:
God is great