“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 NLT

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”- 1 Kings 19:7 NIV

Elijah is at a low point in his life. He is feeling depressed and scared after Jezebel threatened to take his life. Jezebel, as the queen of Israel and an enemy of Elijah, has the power to make her threat a reality. This is the same Elijah who, earlier, made fire descend from the heavens. The same Elijah who prayed to the Lord, and the heavens opened, pouring rain back in Israel after years of drought. The same Elijah.

But now he is depressed and asking God to end his life. How can this be? How can this be the same Elijah? God’s anointing is upon him. There is no space for fear or, worse, depression. Suicidal thoughts? Never! He is a man of God! That may be how we think. But the reality is different.

Elijah is human, just like us. He has the anointing, yes! There is proof. But he is also human. The reality is that spiritual anointing does not annul humanity and God knows that. He is not expecting us to ignore our humanity, and He Himself does not ignore it either. He meets us where we are, just as He did with Elijah. He got into the wilderness where Elijah was and met him there, just as He meets us where we are. He doesn’t wait until we are out of the wilderness to minister to us; He does it where we are, including the seasons we spend in the wilderness.

The Bible says in verse 4 of that same chapter in 1 Kings that Elijah went into the wilderness of his own will. He was not being chased; he was not sent there. He chose to go there to escape.

Sometimes we make mistakes, and we run into the wilderness to escape. But even there, God is with us. So, if you made a mistake and feel so bad about it that you just want to hide in the wilderness of depression and bitterness, I have news for you: God is there with you. He is faithful to His promise that He will not forsake you, nor will He abandon you. You can trust God’s faithfulness. If you are escaping right now into the wilderness, I have a call for you: Come back to Jesus.

When Elijah prayed to God to end his life, what was God’s response? Get up and eat. Isn’t that a bit insensitive? Elijah is so depressed his thoughts have raced to a place in his mind where the only possible solution to the situation is death. He doesn’t feel worthy. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” (verse 4). He feels the threat over his head is bigger than what God can do for him. And God’s response is to ignore his request and order him to move forward! No cuddling, no “Poor Elijah, I love you, don’t worry.” No. Get up and eat because the journey ahead of you is long. No time to lose, Elijah. Let’s get moving!

Why did God respond this way to Elijah? Out of love. True love. God knows the only way to get out of the wilderness is to walk forward. Staying put in a place like this is a death sentence. The thoughts will overwhelm you. The resentment will start growing roots in this place. The fear will paralyze you. You will never get out. You need to move forward. The wilderness needs to be crossed. There is a better place on the other side.

God wants us to move past the wilderness. He wants us to learn from the process, but as a process, it has to end. Everything in life is in cycles. Nothing is forever. Our God is the God of seasons.

“He changes times and seasons.” – Daniel 2:21(a) NIV

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT

The times of wilderness are necessary. We learn from them, we grow out of them, and we experience God’s power and faithfulness through them. And we are going to have these seasons in our lives. There is no way we can escape this truth. Jesus said it this way:

So take heart if you are in a season of wilderness, like Elijah, and don’t see a path forward. Remember this: God is with you. Get up and eat. Keep moving forward. You are not perfect; God knows you are not, so it’s OK. Just keep moving forward. Take strength in His promises; they are real and are fulfilled through Jesus in you. Keep moving forward.

It is OK to ask for help when you feel stuck in the wilderness. We are not omnipotent—God is. We have weaknesses that are overcome by the power of the cross. It is His power through us.

Prayer is a safe place to open up about how you feel. Reach out to that person you trust, your pastor. You are not alone. God is with you, and He has placed you in His body and surrounded you with brothers and sisters who will carry the load with you. Don’t stay static.

Get up and eat; we have a journey to complete!