When you go through difficult times of despair, anguish, loneliness, and fear, what do you do? Do you wander to and fro, looking for a solution and place of safety, as Elijah did, fearing what Queen Jezebel would do to him? Do you run to the wilderness to hide, rather than drawing close to God? Elijah was so afraid, and in such despair, that he even prayed for God to take his life. In 1 Kings 19:5 (NKJV), the angel of the Lord told Elijah, “Arise…”God wants you to arise and take courage. He loves you, and He is there for you. It doesn’t matter how your circumstances look; there is nothing too big for God. You may, at times, go through situations that feel so overwhelming that you lose sight of the Author of life. But, be assured, knowing that God is always in control.And when you go through even the deepest troubles, He will be with you, just as Isaiah 43:2 (NLV) promises: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not flow over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The fire will not destroy you.”