Did You Hear There Was an Earthquake Yesterday?

Good Afternoon Everyone,
I think the title says it all. I grew up in South Texas so earthquakes are not a phenomenon I am all that familiar with. I have lived through one before. My sophomore year at Harding I felt an earthquake, I didn’t realize it until chapel the next day, I honestly thought my neighbor just had his stereo up really loud. Watching the news yesterday I was struck by what God can do through earthquakes and other acts of nature. It made me think about one of my favorite stories from 1 Kings.

1 Kings 19:9-18New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” 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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

I love this story because it shows that God can reveal himself in any way that he chooses. Elijah was expecting to see God in some grand display but at the end of the day God came to Elijah in a gentle whisper.

As I see it there are two things to consider. First, God is not going to grab you by the scruff of the neck and make face to face contact with you in some grand display. God has already given us a grand display in the life, death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ. Second, we should always recognize God in all aspects of life. I applaud Elijah for looking for God in all of the displays of nature.

Where do you see God? I would love to hear where he reveals himself to you. I hope you are all blessed by these words today. Thank you all for blessing me.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul