“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” – 1 Kings 19:11b-12
Throughout history, many zealous and often misguided individuals have tried to justify horrific natural disasters as acts of God. Hurricanes, floods, droughts, forest fires, tsunamis, epidemics – you name it. Surely these awesome displays of force must be the punishing hand of God! After all, remember what he did to Sodom and Gomorrah[i]?
The Old Testament, especially the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, are filled with many awesome (and often disturbing) stories. Prior to this reading from 1 Kings is the story of Elijah’s Barbeque Challenge atop Mount Carmel, where God’s power ignited a fierce fire from water-logged wood! This is followed immediately by the slaughtering of the prophets, a 200-mile chase scene through the desert to Mount Horeb, and ends with a personal encounter with God. It sounds like a riveting Hollywood action-adventure movie!
But to me, the next scene is truly the climax of this epic tale. Mighty forces of nature surround the cave in which Elijah is hiding. Winds shatter rocks! The earth trembles and fires blaze! But we are told “the Lord was not in [them].” Perhaps this is to help us understand that these forces of nature pale in comparison to the power of God. And then, like the eye of a hurricane, God finally appears as “a gentle whisper.”
Too often we expect God to send us unmistakable signals; stir us with some “shock and awe.” To quote from my Life Application Study Bible[ii], “To look for God only in something big (rallies, churches, conferences, highly visible leaders) may be to miss [God] because [God] is often found gently whispering in the quietness of a humbled heart.” Take a close look at the mundane and routine parts of your day. Pause and listen. God is always there to show us the way.
Thanks be to God!
David Krueger