A Very Present Help
God is our
refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we
will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
There is a
river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Come, behold
the works of the LORD,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and
know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
The
LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Psalm 46
God knows more
about tsunamis than anyone else. Not only that. God is our refuge
and strength, a very present help in trouble. God Himself is our
safe refuge and dwelling place. God is for us as a place to which we
can flee for safety. He is also a present source of strength in
times of trouble.
The Hebraic word
for refuge is machaceh (Strong OT:4268). It means, literally
or figuratively, a shelter. Its root word is chacah (Strong
OT:2620), which means, literally, to flee for protection or figuratively, to confide in.
In times of
tsunamis, we must take shelter and flee up to a higher ground such
as a hill, a lofty wall, a high tower, a fort or a fortress. In
Psalm 61:2-4, the psalmist prayed:
From the end
of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
When we are in
danger, God is our refuge. He is our strong tower! When we are
defenseless, God is our strength. We will trust in the shelter of
His wings. God is very present with us! He will never leave nor
forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He is omnipresent! He is as close as the
mention of His name. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made
heaven and earth (Psalm 124:8). Those who trust in the LORD are like
Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever (Psalm 125:1).
There is
something we can learn about tsunamis from the Bible:
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From
Psalm 46:2-3
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About
Tsunamis
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Even
though the earth be removed
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Tsunami
is a Japanese word that translates as "harbour wave."
It is
not strictly speaking a "tidal wave," which describes the
periodic movement of water associated with the rise and fall
of the tides.
Oceanographers call tsunamis seismic sea waves because they
are usually caused by a sudden rise or fall of part of the
earth's crust under or near the ocean.
Less
powerful tsunami waves can also be triggered by volcanic
activity. They are most common in the Pacific Ocean.
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And
though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea
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A
tsunami is not a single wave, but a series of waves that can
travel across the ocean at speeds of more than 800 km (500
miles) an hour.
In the
deep ocean, hundreds of miles can separate wave crests; many
people have lost their lives during tsunamis after returning
home thinking the waves had stopped.
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|
Though
its waters roar and be troubled
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As the
tsunami enters the shallows of coastlines in its path, its
velocity slows but its height increases tremendously.
A
tsunami that is just a few centimetres or metres high from
trough to crest can rear up to heights of 30 to 50 metres as
it hits the shore, striking with devastating and destructive
force.
For
those on shore, there is little warning of an approaching
tsunami. The first indication is often a sharp swell, not
unlike an ordinary storm swell.
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Though
the mountains shake with its swelling
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In 1883,
a tsunami following the eruption of Krakatoa volcano between
the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra killed 36,000.
The tsunami's passage was traced as far away as Panama.
In July
1998, two undersea quakes measuring 7.0 created three
tsunamis that killed at least 2,100 near the town of Aitape
on the north coast of Papua New Guinea.
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The current
death toll from the great earthquake in Indonesia and resultant
tsunamis hitting much of Asia's coastline has risen to 39,946
people, government officials and media from the affected countries
said. Officials warned the figure could rise to almost 57,000.
Our human
capacity to comfort those who need comforting is very limited. Could
we truly understand, know and empathize with those whose lives had
been totally devastated by the earthquake and tsunamis? Could we dry
the tears of those parents whose babies or children were wiped away
by the killer waves? What could we say to those who were in total
distress and disadvantage? Our efforts and words are truly limited.
But there is One
who truly understands, knows and empathizes. Jesus had gone through
much pains, sufferings and even death itself. He is in the midst of
all their helplessness and hopelessness, pains, wails and cries. He
is omnipresent! He is everywhere! He sees. He can feel the
heartbreaking pains in their hearts. He knows the innermost
sufferings in their hearts, and is able to fathom all their grief,
providing comfort and healing. Jesus is with them in the midst of
the earthquake and tsunamis!
God is the
unfailing source of consolation, like an ever-flowing river of peace
and love! Even when the nations raged, and the kingdoms were moved,
He remains unshakeable! He is our sure Foundation! He is the Solid
Rock of our salvation. Therefore, we have nothing to fear. Even when
we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no
evil for He is with us; His rod and His staff comfort us (Psalm
23:4).
Truly we have
nothing to fear. It is our duty to calmly confide in Him, and leave
the whole issue with Him. Be still and know that He is God! Even
when the waves roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their
surging. We will hide in Him! We will still trust in Him! We will
move up to higher ground!
Meanwhile, if
our hearts were touched by the Spirit, let's love our neighbours by
showing them our care and concern! It is time to reach out and touch
them with the love of Christ by helping them to rebuild their homes
and communities, and to restore sanity and calmness. Sometimes just
being there with them is already good enough. Love transcends any
spoken words. It is the language of God to humanity.
Below is some past history of
earthquakes:
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World's
Strongest Earthquakes In The Last Century
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Date
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Location
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Deaths
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Magnitude
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Comments
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May 22, 1960
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Chile
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5,000
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9.5
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The earthquake
struck Santiago and Concepcion, rendering some 2 million
people homeless.
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Mar 28, 1964
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Alaska
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125
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9.2
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Felt over a large
area of Alaska and in parts of western Yukon Territory and
British Columbia, Canada, the quake resulted in about $311
million in property loss.
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Mar 9, 1957
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Alaska
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NA
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9.1
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On Umnak Island,
Mount Vsevidof erupted after being dormant for 200 years,
generating a 15-metre high tsunami that continued to Hawaii.
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Dec 26,
2004
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Indonesia
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Still
undetermined
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9.0
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The quake
triggered a tsunami that has killed tens of thousands in Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and India.
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Nov 4, 1952
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Russia
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No lives lost
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9.0
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Ensuing tsunami
struck the Hawaiian islands.
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Jan 31, 1906
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Ecuador
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Up to 1,000
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8.8
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The quake was felt
all along the coast of Central America and as far north as
San Francisco and west to Japan.
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Feb 4, 1965
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Alaska
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NA
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8.7
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The quake generated
a tsunami reported to be about 10.7 metres high on Shemya
Island.
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Aug 15, 1950
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Tibet/India
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1,500
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8.6
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2,000 homes, temples
and mosques were destroyed in a quake. Hardest hit was the
Brahmaputra Basin in northeast India.
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Feb 3, 1923
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Russia
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NA
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8.5
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Feb 1, 1938
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Indonesia
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NA
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8.5
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World's Deadliest Earthquakes
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Date
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Location
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Deaths
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Magnitude
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Comments
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Jan 23, 1556
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China, Shansi
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830,000
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~8
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Jul 27, 1976
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China, Tangshan
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255,000
(official)
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7.5
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Estimated death toll as high as 655,000.
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Aug 9, 1138
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Syria, Aleppo
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230,000
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May 22, 1927
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China, near Xining
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200,000
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7.9
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Large fractures.
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c.856
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Iran, Damghan
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200,000
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|
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Dec 16, 1920
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China, Gansu
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200,000
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8.6
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Major fractures, landslides.
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c.893
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Iran, Ardabil
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150,000
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Sep 1, 1923
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Japan, Kwanto
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143,000
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7.9
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Great Tokyo fire.
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Oct 5, 1948
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Turkmenistan
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110,000
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7.3
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Dec 28, 1908
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Italy, Messina
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70,000 to 100,000
(estimated)
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7.2
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Deaths from earthquake and tsunami.
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Sep, 1290
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China, Chihli
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100,000
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|
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Nov, 1667
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Azerbaijan, Shemakha
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80,000
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|
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Nov 18, 1727
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Iran, Tabriz
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77,000
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Nov 1, 1755
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Portugal, Lisbon
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70,000
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8.7
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Great tsunami.
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Dec 25, 1932
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China, Gansu
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70,000
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7.6
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May 31, 1970
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Peru
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66,000
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7.9
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$530,000 damage, great rockslide, floods.
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1268
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Turkey, Silicia
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60,000
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|
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Jan 11, 1693
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Italy, Sicily
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60,000
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|
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May 30, 1935
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Pakistan, Quetta
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30,000 to 60,000
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7.5
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Quetta almost completely destroyed.
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Feb 4, 1783
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Italy, Calabria
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50,000
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|
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Jun 20, 1990
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Iran, Gilan
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50,000
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7.7
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Landslides.
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Dec 26,
2004
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Off Sumatra
West Coast
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Still
undetermined
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9.0
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Dec 26, 2003
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Iran, Bam
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31,000
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6.6
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In our times of many earthquakes, tsunamis, terrorism, hurricanes
and tornadoes etc., may we:
Climb every mountain
Scale every height
In the midst of troubles
We will know where to hide
Climb every mountain
Seeking the LORD
Bringing praise and worship
As we enter His fort
As we live and move up higher
We will bring others along
With every ounce of our strength
At every beat of our hearts
Written on:
28
December 2004