Closer in the Unexpected

by Isaiah Board

1 Kings 19:11-13  //  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. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Children can often cause their parents a good measure of panic. They might run away from a parent in a large crowd, wander off in a store, or climb a high playground structure and scream, “Look, Mom/Dad!”

Recently, at home, I was calling for my daughter and looking for her, but to no avail. I looked in her room, went to the backyard, and checked the garage. I walked through the living room, I even checked my bedroom.

My heart began to race because I couldn’t figure out where she had gone. Just before I started to get worried, she spun around in a chair she was sitting in located in the corner of our dining room. The seat back was to me so I didn’t see her sitting in that chair. She pleasantly replied, “Hi, Dad!”

I had expected her to be in an obvious place. I expected her to be in a place I could overtly see. I expected her to be in a commonplace, but that’s not where she was. She was in an unexpected place. She was actually closer than I expected.

The great prophet Elijah was on the run due to a death threat from the queen of his day. Facing a great depression, God revealed His presence to Elijah in a way that was unexpected to him.

Through a great wind, earthquake, and fire, the presence of God was not found. However, it was through a gentle voice that Elijah encountered God’s presence.

The expectation for many today is that they will find God in a demonstrative or dramatic fashion. No doubt this can happen. God is all-powerful and can choose to reveal himself in whatever way He sees fit.

What we must realize is that God also reveals himself in ways that are unexpected to us. We must also know He is closer than we think.

Let me encourage you to look for God in unexpected places. I also want to encourage you that He is with you. He is with you at the grocery store, gym, school, work, and everywhere.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to reflect:

• How can you intentionally practice “looking” for God in everyday situations?
• Have you ever felt God speak to you through a person, event, or perhaps nature? What did you feel like He was saying?

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that your presence goes with me wherever I go. Help me to be reassured of that today. I ask that you help me stay attentive to your presence in the unexpected places of life. May I be a blessing to others as you have been a blessing to me. In Jesus’s name, amen.