Renewed Purpose

Sermon June 22, 2025 1 Kings 19:1-15a Renewed Purpose

Reverend Fred Okello

1 Kings 19 talks about one of the Lord’s greatest prophets, Elijah, who had recently done something amazing. He bravely stood alone against 400 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel to show who the real God is. Elijah prayed to the Lord, and God answered with fire from heaven, which burned up the sacrifice. What a win! The false prophets lost, and God’s strength was seen.

But then Jezebel finds out what happened, and she is quite angry. She promises to kill Elijah. And all of a sudden, the same man who was strong on Mount Carmel is now running for his life. He is scared. It looks like his trust, confidence, and bravery are gone.

Have you ever been there? One minute you’re strong and brave, leading, believing, and trusting. You’re scared, overwhelmed, and ready to give up the next instant. That’s where Elijah is right now.

The first eight lines tell us about the great prophet Elijah, who is now on the run. He is running for his life deep into the bush. The man who asked God to send fire from heaven is now so upset that he says, “Lord, take my life.”

Elijah is worn out in every way: physically, mentally, and spiritually. He’s tired, hungry, and ready to quit. He falls asleep under a broom tree. But here’s the best part of this passage: instead of punishing him or leaving him, the Lord sends an angel.

The angel wakes Elijah up and tells him to eat. He finds food and water that has been set out particularly for him. He falls asleep again after eating, and the angel comes back to feed him again. That supper gives him the energy he needs to go for forty days and forty nights to the Lord’s Mountain.

Friends, Elijah’s story teaches us that we are not alone when we feel alone. God is with us. He sends help. He feeds our souls, gives our bodies a break, and gives us the strength we need for the journey ahead.

Emmanuel is with you whether you’re in a hospital bed, grieving a loss, healing from a disaster, or fighting depression. Our God is not just powerful; he is also present. He doesn’t come to condemn us when we’re tired; he comes in grace to make us whole again.

God sends His angels to help us every step of the way when we are weak and want to give up. He understands what we need before we even ask. We may be down, but we are not out. God’s help will move us onward.

Many times, we want to see God do huge, powerful things. We want Him to come with fire, shake the ground, split the sea, or kill our enemies. We ask for miracles, signs, and wonders to show us that He is with us. That’s how we do things a lot of the time, but not always how the Lord does things.

Elijah goes back to a cave on Mount Horeb, where he thinks there will be another big show. The Lord urges him to stand in front of Him, and all of a sudden, a strong wind blows across the mountains. But God is not in the wind. Then an earthquake happens, but God is not in the earthquake. Then there is a fire, but God is not in it. And then... a soft voice. That’s where the Lord was.

Elijah had seen God’s power in the fire previously, but this time God came in silence. Not in a play. Not in noise.

God doesn’t have to show himself in just one way. He might not talk boldly when we want him to. He might appear in the ordinary while we expect the extraordinary. He might be whispering in the stillness of our hearts when we look for the earthquake. The Lord lets us be still sometimes, not because He isn’t there, but because He is there in the silence.

Have you ever been alone and felt the Lord’s calm instead of words? Have you ever opened your Bible and read a verse that made you feel like God was speaking straight to your soul? That’s how God talks.

A friend of mine traveled to the U.S. for a meeting. On the last day, he checked out of his hotel early, but he didn’t have a place to stay or any friends nearby. I was his closest contact, but I was 16 hours away and couldn’t help much. He had to leave the motel about 2 a.m. because he was cold and stuck, and the motel threatened to call cops. We were both quite tired. I said, “Let’s stop talking and pray.”

The next day he told me that an Ethiopian cab driver had located him, paid for his travel to New York and was on a jet back to Kenya. When we stop trying to control everything and rest in Him, He often works in the silence.

You don’t always find the Lord in the loud noise of life. You can also find Him in the quietness of prayer, the peaceful study of Scripture, or the tears you cry in His presence.

The Lord speaks after the whisper: “Elijah, what are you doing here?” Elijah says again that he feels alone, abandoned, and thinks his ministry has failed. But God doesn’t fight with him or say bad things about him. God doesn’t offer Elijah anything weak and dead; instead, he gives him a new job. He says, “Go back the way you came...”

God still has work for him to do with Elijah. He needs to anoint rulers, raise prophets, and serve the people. Elijah might have thought he was done, but God wasn’t done with him.

There are times when we feel tired, broken, or like no one cares. We can think that our time is up or that we’ve failed too many times to be useful again. But the God who meets us in our weakness and talks to us in the quiet is also the God who gives us back our purpose.

God didn’t take Elijah off his mission; instead, He gave him new vigor and changed his path. He told Elijah that he wasn’t the only one. God actually tells him later that 7,000 people in Israel have not bowed to Baal.

You could be wondering if God still has something for you to do today. Maybe life has been tough and you're sheltering in your own “cave.” God isn't done with you yet. He still has a route for you to follow, people for you to help, and a purpose for you to complete.

Let God’s whisper give you the strength to move forth. He will give, He will speak, and He will send you.