Acts of God

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” [1 Kings 19.11-13]

It is very interesting here that this passage states that "the Lord passed by..." in a whirlwind, and earthquake, and a fire but, "the Lord was not in..." them.

There are many events that occur that are in fact acts of God, but that does not mean that God is in them! This is important for followers of God to understand even though it makes little sense!

I satisfy my own self in understanding God in this way: God has many attributes all necessary to 'be God' - all necessary to be supreme and in control of everything. These attributes include destructive forces because to be sovereign, One must be able to support any and every claim or warning made! However, the fact that in Elijah's experience God "was not in..." the destructive forces tells me that these particular and necessary attributes of His existence are not the essence of His existence! The essence of His existence is found in the gentle and still whisper.

So, when insurance companies and the like speak of natural disasters as "acts of God" they are precisely correct. However correct they are, God is not "in" the disasters but is found in the quietness of a prayer - a gentle whisper.

Father, I totally did not expect to see this understanding of You in this experience of Elijah's. Thank You for speaking to my heart today and giving me an answer for the prevalent question regarding 'acts of God.'