Earthquake Restores Hearing

All earthquake results are not created equal according to the amazing story of Robert Valderzak of Washington, DC.

The 75-year old had a fall in June and lost his hearing. Amazingly, after Tuesday’s 5.8 magnitude Virginia earthquake shook his hospital bed, his hearing returned, much to the amazement of doctors who are planning additional tests.

His doctor noted, “Some people seem to be a little frightened by it, but he is delighted that this earthquake came along because soon after the event, he could hear everything in the room very clearly.”

For both the hearing-impaired and those who hear fine, earthquakes are surely attention-getters. Countless people can tell you exactly where they were, what they were doing and how they felt about the big shake of August 23, 2011.

I once heard that if God can’t use His Word to get people’s attention, He uses His works. In the case of an indifferent jail keeper in Philippi, God had to use as earthquake when His quotes proved inadequate.

Acts 16 records how Paul and his company preached in the city. It created such a stir that jail time resulted. Surely the jailer knew of the preaching and likely even the content. He had heard of their work, seen them whipped mercilessly, clamped their limbs into stocks and fallen asleep, evidences of crass indifference to the Gospel and to human suffering. But when God sent an earthquake, the jailer had a different attitude.

In the dark of midnight, as Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns (the original Greek word is “hymneo”), an earthquake shook the prison, disconnected the prisoners’ shackles and rattled loose the prison doors. The commotion shook the slumbering jailer into full consciousness, and the presumed escape of his charges totally unnerved him. The narrative of Acts 16:27-34 is so astonishing that I include it here:

And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
Earthquakes can be a disguised blessing, especially when they open one’s ears to hear God’s truth and ask the ultimate question, “What must I do to be saved?” Those who fear no mortal earthquake can answer with personally known joy, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and your whole household too, if they believe as you.”

Dave Virkler