When the Ground Shakes, God Builds His Church As We Approach the New Year…..
This time is God’s. The Church has come forth and is responding to its own. The Church didn’t need to actually leave the community, because the ‘community’ came to the church. It was literally right next door.
The current conflict in Cambodia has brought deep upheaval to the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable. Families have been forced to flee their homes, seeking safety elsewhere in the kingdom, while the places they once lived are reduced to dust. Livelihoods have been interrupted and destroyed, communities scattered, and daily life is filled with uncertainty. For many, tomorrow feels unknown, and the weight of displacement is heavy. These are not distant statistics, but real people— parents, children, and elders—carrying loss with quiet resilience. This is not the first encounter with this situation for many of these families, but this time is the most challenging one, with nearly a half million souls on the move to somewhere. Anywhere that will ease the fear and uncertainty that is gripping their lives.
Yet even in this time of shaking, we are reminded that this moment belongs to God. Scripture tells us that while everything that can be shaken will be shaken, what remains is His unshakable Kingdom (Hebrews 12:27–28). What appears to be devastation has also become a profound opportunity for the Church to rise in compassion, obedience, and faith. As needs increase, so does the call for God’s people to respond —not only with words, but with presence, service, and love lived out daily. And the church has done just that, because this is what the communal environment here promotes. But also, as stated above, Scripture also clearly states that in this ‘shaking’ we are seeing the ‘greatness’ of God on the ground.
Across affected communities, believers—many of them young and newly grounded in Christ—are stepping out to meet practical needs, to listen, to comfort, and to share the hope of Jesus. They are visiting displaced families, offering help where help is scarce, and opening their lives to others in tangible ways. As they go, they are discovering that faith grows strongest when it is put into action, being the hands and feet on the bare ground we all walk on.
In this season, discipleship is not happening only in classrooms or church buildings, but on dusty roads, in temporary shelters, and through shared meals and prayers. New believers are being trained even as they themselves mature, walking alongside others on the kingdom journey. We are witnessing the Church multiplying through relationships, service, and obedience, as young believers train others and step into leadership with humility and courage.
While the ground may be shaking, God is steady at work. In the midst of conflict and uncertainty, He is building His Church—rooted in love, strengthened through service, and alive with hope. This time is God’s, and His Kingdom continues to advance, even here. It is now for Cambodia.
A Prayer to ponder and pray on:
Dear Lord God,
As we enter this new year, we lift before You the families who have been displaced, the communities living in uncertainty, and those who are grieving loss. Be their shelter, their provision, and their peace. Strengthen Your Church in this time—especially the young believers who are stepping out in faith to serve, disciple, and love others in Your name. Give wisdom, courage, and compassion to all who respond, and let Your unshakable Kingdom be made visible through acts of mercy and truth. May Your light shine brightly in Cambodia, and may many come to know the hope found only in Jesus. Amen!