Elijah arose quickly and left town, heading south for Beersheba. He hoped that his early exit had discouraged Jezebel from pursuing him, but he was worried. He had already faced forty knife-wielding false prophets, yet on this day, he was afraid of a woman and ran a marathon.

Elijah was burnt out, overextended and depleted from ministry. He was coping with apparent failure, withdrawal and tendencies toward self-destruction. He was finished.

Jezebel may never have sent an assassin after Elijah, but her intimidation had worked. If the enemy cannot kill us physically, he seeks to kill our future, tormenting us with tomorrow’s fears or yesterday’s failures.   In the desert, Elijah fell back against his tree and said in despair to God “It is enough!” But God is never finished with you until you finish. Whenever we think it is too hard to go on, God sees and understands our struggles and He provides the strength and the food we need for our next journey.

Friend, when you’re in the desert thinking “It is enough!” think about Him, who stayed on the cross, until he could say “It is finished.” Because He finished, we can lean on the cross and receive strength from God and know that “It is enough.”

The ship was rolling in the heavy seas as the powerful storm called the Euroclydon threatened her safety. Paul had anticipated the danger when he first boarded the ship. The weather was bad but it wasn't a mistake; the wind was ordered. It wasn't comfortable but it was commissioned. Paul didn't ask for it but he needed it. Peter said we will only get tests and trials “if need be”. This was just part of the process for God’s promise to be fulfilled.

To grow and have peace in our troubles, we need to realise it is part of the process that brings us to the promise. If God could have brought Israel into the Promised Land without change, He would have. If God needed you to have that job you just lost, to become what you needed to be, you would never have lost it. If God knew you needed that friend who just moved away, for you to become the woman God intended you to be, they would still be here. God know what we need to become His champions. We all want the promise but less want the process. Everybody wants to look like a Schwarzenegger but nobody wants to spend three hours at the gym. We are to meet with God in our trials and grow stronger like Paul. He didn't just go through the storm, he grew through the storm.

Friend, there are no easy steps toward your destiny, but they are always purposeful steps. God’s plan, is that your test becomes part of your testimony. Hold on and discover that He is holding you.