This is the first in a weekly installment of prayer devotionals that I’ve begun writing for my church. Since this one has already passed, I won’t include the daily prayer prompts that followed.

I remember when Hurricane Alicia barreled through Houston in ’83—we hunkered down at home with pine trees bending like taffy and no electricity for days. It was a frightening experience. I think about Hurricane Rita coming on the heels of Hurricane Katrina—many people were still displaced from the first disaster! Now, with the anniversary of the devastating Haiti earthquake still fresh on everyone’s minds, a question arises: Why would God put us through such hard times, especially when we’re still recovering?

 
One of my favorite Bible characters, Elijah, went through a stormy situation that makes Alicia, Rita and Katrina pale in comparison. Elijah was a radical prophet of God, but he had run away because he feared for his life. While he was hiding in a cave one night, the Lord spoke to him:

 
“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. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”
1 Kings 19:11-13a [NIV]

 
Could you imagine standing there while the very presence of God caused the ground beneath your feet to tremble? Elijah also withstood what sounds like gale-force winds, not to mention a fire! Yet, after that tremendous display of his mighty power, God revealed himself to Elijah in a soft voice.

 

Elijah’s experience reminded me that God isn’t always where we most expect Him to be. His Spirit can work in our lives in tangible, dramatic ways, but also in subtle, behind-the-scenes fashion. No matter what our situation might be right now—whether chaos or calm—let us be radical like Elijah and seek God’s presence in the coming week.