Speak, Lord

SPEAK, LORD

Preached: January 25, 2026 (Love’s Chapel)

June 22, 2025 (Canton First)

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:9-19a

The older I get, the more I find myself identifying with the Prophet Elijah. Not in the sense that I think that I’m a prophet but in the sense that Elijah’s “work” … what he was called to do … was certainly not easy … and his response to those difficulties feels, well, very familiar to me. Maybe they feel a bit … more than a bit … familiar to you too. The underlying truth, however, is that God comforted Elijah in his distress over and over and over again. He provided for Elijah, took care of him in miraculous ways, and was exceptionally patient with His prophet. So, too, God is comforting and patient with us. Thank God, amen? Our Creator and Savior’s quiet calm brings us peace and comfort when the world around us ... or inside of us … is nothing but turmoil and upheaval.

Let’s spend just a couple of moments reviewing what had led Elijah to the point where he is hiding in a cave. God had called Elijah to be His prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel which had broken away from the Southern Kingdom of Judah after the death of King Solomon. While both pieces of this fractured nation left a lot to be desired spiritually, the Northern Kingdom was an especially rough place. Never did they have a truly believing king rule over them … and eventually they would be completely wiped out by the Assyrians.

Before that happens, however, we see God’s grace over and over to His unfaithful and apostate people. The existence of Elijah’s ministry is proof of that. Despite the nation largely not caring about what God said or did, He continued to send messengers with His word to call them back to Himself. Whether it was to the people or to the rulers, God sought the souls of those people precious to Him. He didn’t want them to be led astray by their sin. He didn’t want their devotion to false gods to be their eternal undoing ... and so, God sent prophets like Elijah to bring to warn the people, the rulers, and the nation if they continued on in their sinful and selfish ways.

How DOES God speak to us?

Sometimes He speak through nature. When God spoke to Moses, it was through a burning bush. When God entered into a covenant with His newly-liberated children at Mount Sinai, the mountain was covered with a thick cloud. There was lightening and thunder. When God appeared, the whole mountain shook violently. When Moses spoke, God would answer him in thunder (Exodus 19:16-19).

As God led them through the wilderness towards Canaan … the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey … God appeared as a ‘pillar of cloud’ during the day and as a ‘pillar of fire’ at night (Exodus 13:21-22).

When Solomon dedicated the newly completed Temple and invited God to come and live among His people, fire came down from Heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the LORD filled the Temple. The priests could not enter the House the LORD (1 Kings 8:10-11).

Sometimes when we pray to God, we expect Him to speak to us in some powerful and dramatic … or in a very clear and unambiguous way, right? Oh … we don’t expect Him to crush mountains or set the sky on fire … but we do expect Him to speak in some unmistakable way. And … as Elijah knows … as we should know … God can speak to us in powerful and dramatic ways but He can also … more often than not … speak to us in such loving, gentle ways too, can’t He? And if we are not paying attention, we might miss it, amen?

Let’s picture Elijah right now. Alone … frightened … hiding in a cave. We kind of bust ourselves, don’t we? Whenever we read about Elijah’s experience on Mt. Carmel or we hear a sermon on this passage, we get focused on the dramatic, exciting parts, don’t we? Like Elijah, we expect God to speak to us in the “Great Wind” or tornado, yes? But God wasn’t there. A bit of a let down for Elijah … a bit of let down for us … maybe?

Ah … an earthquake! Surely God is going to speak to Elijah now, yes? Nothing. Again, God didn’t speak … and we begin to wonder if God is even there or if He is coming or knows or cares where Elijah is or what he’s going through.

A raging forest fire! Yes! Surely God is going to speak now! All the elements are there … wind and earthquakes and fire … just like when He appeared on Mt. Sinai or His Presence entered the Temple.