Pastor Nick Hood

The small still voice of God sermon

first kings 194 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”

Elijah Meets God at Horeb

11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. [1]

  1. I want to talk about Elijah finding God after running from Jezebel and her husband king Ahab for 40 days…
  2. Elijah goes into a cave for safe lodging
  3. sometimes in our lives the best we can do is to retreat to a cave
  4. God found Elijah in The Cave and asked him what are you doing here?
  5. Elijah proceeds to tell God how faithful he has been to God
  6. God directs Elijah to come out from The Cave because the Lord is about to pass by
  7. the wind is so strong mountains are bringing being torn apart, but god was not in the wind
  8.  An earthquake rumbled, but that was not God
  9. fire broke out but still no God
  1. finally the Bible tells us that Elijah heard the sound of a small still voice, and that is where he found God.
  1. Lessons from this story
  2. Because Elijah stood up for God, he suffered
  3. likewise when we stand up for God, we too will  suffer
  4. Elijah looked for God in the overwhelming presence of the wind, and earthquake, and fire
  5. likewise, we sometimes miss God when we are mesmerized my loud voices, hot air, and fiery passion
  6. Elijah, does not find God until he listens within the silence
  7. not everybody is comfortable with silence
  8. in 1985, I drove to the entrance of Yellowstone park from Billings Mt. Up in the mountains of Yellowstone park, i heard nothing, and I was uncomfortable
  • I encourage you to look for God in everything, and everyone.
  • God reminds Elijah that he is not the only one who has remained faithful in the time of trouble.
  • Sometimes we cannot see God because we’re too focused on ourselves.
  • Other times, we cannot see or hear God because we are looking for God with an image we have created in our own minds

[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (1 Ki 19:4–13). (1989). Thomas Nelson Publishers.