Today’s scripture: 1 Kings 19:11-18 (NRSV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me in this passage? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two before reading on.
My thoughts (Tammy Mills):
Reading about Elijah trying to hear the voice of God in natural disasters got me thinking about Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina still has me wondering — where was God? How does a God who loves, allow such devastation? I haven’t been able to really answer this question in my spirit, but I did feel, as I read the story of Elijah, that I got a glimpse of where God might have been during Hurricane Katrina.
Elijah heard God in the silence that came after the wind, earthquake, and fire. When I look at disasters like Katrina I, too, hear God in the quiet after the storm. I hear God’s voice in Jabbar Gibson’s story:
Absconding with a school bus doesn’t usually warrant a hero’s welcome. But the first bus of New Orleans evacuees to reach Houston’s Astrodome was driven by Jabbar Gibson, 20, who sort of stole it — at the hint of a police officer who knew quicker help wouldn’t arrive. Gibson, who had never driven a bus before, picked up 70 stranded people, who pooled their money to buy gas for the bus and diapers for the babies on board. “I don’t care if I get blamed for it as long as I saved my people,” Gibson said. (USA Today)
I hear God in the example of Jabbar Gibson and the countless stories of heroism and selfless giving that occurred after Hurricane Katrina blew through!
I still can’t explain why such horrible things happen, but I can step back and listen for God’s voice that seems to come in the silence after the storm. Perhaps this might be true in my own life. When I am all stirred up and can’t seem to find my way or hear God’s voice — do I need to simply let the storm blow by and listen for God’s voice in the silence?
Thought for the day: Can I listen for God’s voice in the silences of life?
Today, let’s join together in prayer for: the AIDS epidemic in Africa. For information, see AIDSandAfrica.com. See this page for an overview of the epidemic.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. Use the item above as a starting point, or consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.