Introduction

     Driving in Chicago takes skill and if you have been driving long enough you have encountered your share of Chicago traffic jams. It’s what causes blood pressures to rise and that old tune of “Why do I live in this city!” to come out on repeat. No one enjoys being stuck. No one tolerates long lines (unless you’re at Great America) and no one is happy when an airplane sits on the runway for over an hour.

     Being stuck somewhere long enough can be draining and stress inducing, but being stuck spiritually causes symptoms we all want to wish away. You know the feeling. The gnawing of your soul. The purposelessness. The dissatisfaction. The apathy. The list can continue on but I think we all know that feeling. We stuff things away just to function or we decide it’s just how things are. But what if there’s something else?

     What if that feeling you get watching your toddler day in and day out isn’t just depression from lack of human contact? What if you’re stuck? What if the rage that keeps crippling your spouse and kids isn’t just an anger management issue? What if the abuse is more than just a long series of broken relationships? Is it speaking to something deeper?

     The Prophet Elijah was a strong spiritual leader, yet he ended up stuck in a cave after a discouraging time in his life. He ran and hid after experiencing one of the greatest miracles in the Old Testament. He was depressed, discouraged, and depleted, yet his story is a powerful message of how God can free us to walk into the calling He always had in store for us. In 1 Kings chapter 19, it tells us the extraordinary story of a man, a cave, and his God.  There is a prophetic word for you and I as we read Elijah’s story in scripture and it can be the dose of life you are looking for.  Get ready to begin a new season.