Today, I was reflecting on a question a partner once asked me: “I know you’ve had many experiences with God throughout your life, but have you ever gone through a dry season where you did not feel His presence?”
Ah, the dry seasons.
I can honestly say that I have experienced as many dry seasons as times when I felt God speaking to me daily. I firmly believe that enduring those seemingly endless dry seasons has made me a stronger believer today.
I am reminded of Elijah in 1 Kings 19. He desperately needed to hear from God after performing incredible miracles through His power. One would think he would be on cloud nine, but the Bible tells us that people wanted to kill him. He found himself running for his life. It’s remarkable to consider that one moment he was being celebrated for his mighty deeds, and the next, he was in despair, feeling completely alone. In that loneliness, he cried out to God.
Even though Elijah felt abandoned, God had not left him. The Word of God promises us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. God was right there with Elijah. When Elijah cried out, God answered him.
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the 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; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Ki 19:11-12)
From my experiences during dry seasons, I have learned this: you must be still before the Lord. You will not typically hear Him in a loud, booming voice; instead, it is in that still, small voice that you will recognize Him.
Psalm 46:10 says, Be still and know that I am God.
During the dry seasons I have experienced, I have learned the importance of being still before God. There were times when I felt disconnected from Him—when I read His Word but gained nothing from it, and when my prayers seemed to hit a brick wall. So, what did I do?
I learned to keep moving forward. I continued to pray, read, and listen. I describe this as a learning process because the first few dry seasons were particularly challenging. I often questioned what I was doing wrong. I wondered if God was angry with me or if I had completely missed His guidance. I learned during dry seasons to ignore the voice of condemnation. I realized that instead of wondering, I should trust and keep moving forward.
It may feel like you are walking through a dark cave, a dense forest, or thick fog. It might seem dark for a while, but if you keep walking, you will eventually find your way out.
We have a promise from God: He will never leave us nor forsake us. It is in the driest seasons that you will discover whether you truly believe what the Word says. During times when you may not hear God speaking directly to you, it becomes even more important to stay grounded in the Word of God. The Word will speak—it will communicate with us.
Elijah didn’t have the written Word; he only had God’s voice. However, we are incredibly blessed. Even when we do not hear God speaking to us directly, we still have His Word. It can and will speak to us; we just need to keep reading and believing the truth that He is right here with us.
In those dry seasons, when I felt as though God wasn’t present, He was there, just as His Word promises. He walked with me every step of the way. Friends, we all experience dry seasons. The key is to keep walking with God and to keep moving forward. You will come out of it—Elijah did, I did, and you will too.
