The Question That Comes Before Love
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and the world is already selling us love: perfect dates, perfect cards, perfect feelings.
But real love — the kind that lasts — often starts with a quieter question.
Not “Do you love me?”
Not “Are you lovable?”
But real love — the kind that lasts — often starts with a quieter question.
Not “Do you love me?”
Not “Are you lovable?”
But a gentle, searching one:
“What are you doing here?”That’s the question God asked Elijah in his lowest moment.
It’s the question He still asks us — not with judgment, but with love.
And the small, honest “yes” we give in response is often the very thing that opens the door to transformation, healing, and the kind of love we’ve been craving all along.
It’s the question He still asks us — not with judgment, but with love.
And the small, honest “yes” we give in response is often the very thing that opens the door to transformation, healing, and the kind of love we’ve been craving all along.
This Thoughtful Thursday, as the Valentine’s rush builds, let’s pause and listen for that question.
Because the answer we give might just change everything.
Because the answer we give might just change everything.
A Sermon: Elijah in the Cave — The Question That Comes Before Love
1 Kings 19:1-18 Elijah had just experienced the highest high of his prophetic career: fire from heaven on Mount Carmel, Baal’s prophets defeated, the people turning back to God.
But the very next day, Queen Jezebel sent a death threat.
Elijah ran.
He ran for his life — a full day into the wilderness, sat under a broom bush, and prayed to die: “I have had enough, Lord… Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:4, NIV). He was exhausted.
He was scared.
He felt like a failure.
He was hiding in a cave when God found him. God didn’t scold him.
He didn’t lecture him.
He simply asked one gentle question:
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9, NIV).
Elijah poured out his heart — “I have been very zealous for the Lord… the Israelites have rejected your covenant… I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me.”
God listened.
God listened.
Then He told Elijah to stand on the mountain.
A great wind tore the rocks apart — God was not in the wind.
An earthquake shook the ground — God was not in the earthquake.
A fire roared by — God was not in the fire.
Then came a gentle whisper.
And God asked again: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:13, NIV). This time Elijah gave the same answer — but something had shifted.
God didn’t fix Elijah’s circumstances right away.
He gave him a new assignment: go back the way he came, anoint kings, appoint Elisha as his successor.
In other words: “You’re not alone. You’re not finished. Get up and keep going — I’m still with you.”
Jesus echoed this same gentle approach centuries later.
He didn’t shame the disciples when they scattered.
He didn’t lecture the woman caught in adultery.
He didn’t shame the disciples when they scattered.
He didn’t lecture the woman caught in adultery.
He asked simple, searching questions:
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” (John 8:10)
“Simon son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:15-17)
“What are you discussing together as you walk along?” (Luke 24:17, to the Emmaus disciples).
Jesus’ questions weren’t traps.
They were invitations.
They were love in question form — drawing people out of hiding, out of shame, out of despair, and back into purpose.
They were invitations.
They were love in question form — drawing people out of hiding, out of shame, out of despair, and back into purpose.
So here are the gentle questions God is asking you this Thursday — right in the middle of winter, right before Valentine’s Day:
- What are you doing here?
Hiding from love because it hurt before?
Performing for love because you’re afraid it won’t come otherwise?
Settling for less because you think that’s all you deserve? - Where have you run to escape the pain, the fear, the disappointment — and what would it look like to let God meet you there, in the cave, with a gentle whisper instead of judgment?
- What small “yes” is God inviting you to give today — a quiet moment of honesty, a kind word to someone who’s hurting, a choice to believe you are loved just as you are?
not with demands,
not with pressure,
but with a gentle question and a patient wait for our small “yes.”
Jesus asked questions that drew people out of hiding.
He still does.
And when we answer — even with a trembling “Here I am” — He meets us with love that reshapes everything.
Christian Faith Points
- God’s love asks questions, not to shame, but to draw us closer (John 21:15-17 — Jesus asking Peter “Do you love me?” three times).
- God’s love meets us in our caves — our hiding places — with a gentle whisper, not a storm (1 Kings 19:12).
- God’s love turns our small “yes” into massive purpose (Isaiah 6:8 — “Here am I. Send me!”).
- Marcus Reed – Texas Veteran Who Said Yes to Showing Up
Marcus, 45, came home from service carrying invisible wounds — PTSD, nightmares, guilt. He isolated himself for nearly two years, barely speaking to his wife and kids. He felt like “damaged goods” and believed that was his permanent label.
One Sunday a sermon on Elijah in the cave hit him hard: God didn’t scold Elijah; He asked a gentle question and waited. Marcus felt God asking him the same: “What are you doing here, Marcus?”
He started small: showing up to a veteran coffee meetup once a week. He listened more than he spoke. Then he shared a little. Then he started leading.
Today he runs a weekly mental health workshop for 200 veterans — teaching journaling, breathing exercises, and faith-based resilience. His wife says she has her husband back. His kids say he’s present. Marcus says: “I thought my story ended in Afghanistan. God asked ‘What are you doing here?’ and waited for my small yes. That yes changed everything.” - Anjali Gupta – Mumbai Artist Who Said Yes to the Wall
Anjali, 32, lost her gallery and her confidence in 2024 when every piece she created felt hollow. She stopped painting, convinced she had nothing left to say. Habakkuk 2:3 became her lifeline: “The vision awaits its appointed time.”
One morning she felt God asking: “What are you doing here, Anjali — sitting in fear when I’ve given you paint and walls?”
She started small: sketching one mural on a slum wall near her old studio. Kids gathered. She gave them paint. Soon 150 youth were helping — turning gray concrete into color and hope. The project grew into a community art collective. Grants came. Exhibitions followed. Anjali’s art now hangs in public spaces across Mumbai.
She says: “I thought my story was over. God asked ‘What are you doing here?’ and waited for my small yes. That yes moved me outdoors — and changed everything.” - Lerato Mbatha – Johannesburg Student Who Said Yes to Speaking Up
Lerato, 20, endured relentless bullying in high school — name-calling, exclusion, threats. It crushed her confidence and made her dread going to class. Joshua 1:9 became her anchor: “Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you.”
One day she felt God asking: “What are you doing here, Lerato — staying silent when you could help others?”
She started small: sharing her story in a school assembly. She expected silence or mockery. Instead, students approached her afterward — some crying, some thanking her. That moment birthed an anti-bullying campaign. She organized empathy workshops, role-playing sessions, and safe-space circles. Bullying incidents dropped 25%. Five schools adopted her program.
Lerato says: “I thought my story was one of victimhood. God asked ‘What are you doing here?’ and waited for my small yes. That yes turned pain into purpose for others.”
How will you answer God’s gentle question? A small “yes,” a faithful step — my quiet moment of surrender opened a new door. Share your story with our community, changing the world one wrist at a time.
Prayer or Reflection: Your Sent Heart
Find a quiet space. Breathe deeply (inhale 4, exhale 4). Reflect or pray, asking God to help you answer His question. Say, “Here I am, Lord — use me as You will.” Rest for 7 minutes. Journal: What small “yes” is God asking of me today?
A Commitment to Being Sent
I commit to listening for God’s gentle question and answering with my small “yes.” With The Inspiration Co.’s mission, I’ll change the world — one faithful step, one wrist, one heart. Join me to move forward together.
Transformation Tuesday Challenge
Be sent this Tuesday! Try one:
- Share a Scripture or calling insight and discuss its impact with a friend.
- Spend 7 minutes reflecting, affirming “Here I am, Lord — use me as You will.”
- Post your “sent” moment with #TransformationTuesday and #InspirationNation!
- Exodus 3:12: “I will be with you” (NIV).
- Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always” (NIV).
- 1 Corinthians 1:27: “God chose the weak things of the world” (NIV).
- Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (NIV).
- Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous” (NIV).
- Romans 8:28: “In all things God works for the good” (NIV).
Share your “sent” story with #TransformationTuesday and #InspirationNation. Post in the comments or social media to lift each other up, changing the world one wrist at a time.
