I am a fall gal. I come alive and live outside when the leaves change color and I can put on a cozy cardigan and the smell of pumpkin spice is everywhere. Almost every Saturday in the fall, we go for a family walk at the zoo to enjoy the cooler Oklahoma temperatures. Last October, my family went on one of our usual visits, and of course, we really wanted to see the bears — but they were nowhere to be found. Then I noticed a sign that said they were hibernating.

So we walked around reading all the information they had posted about bears and hibernation. The more I learned about it, the more intrigued I became. At the beginning of fall, bears will eat nonstop and put on over 100 pounds. Then they go into a den or a cave for hibernation all through winter. They curl up and sleep for months. They don’t wake up to eat, drink, or even go to the bathroom.

Here’s the craziest fact that I read: during hibernation, female bears actually give birth. They wake up just long enough to deliver tiny cubs, weighing less than a pound each, and then they go back to sleep. The mama bear doesn’t eat the whole time, but her body produces milk to feed her babies. By spring, those little cubs have grown strong and healthy, and everyone comes out of the cave ready to explore the world.

God whispered something to my heart that day: the cave isn’t boring or barren. It can be a place of protection, rest, and new life.

In 1 Kings 19, we find the Prophet Elijah retreating into a cave. Just a chapter earlier, he was on Mount Carmel, calling down fire from heaven and watching God prove Himself mightily against the prophets of Baal. Elijah was bold, fearless, and full of faith.

But one chapter later, he’s on the run, exhausted and overwhelmed with fear, anxiety, and despair. He prays, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life” (1 Kings 19:4).

On Mount Carmel, Elijah was a hero. On Mount Horeb, in the cave, he was just human. And that was exactly where God met him — in his weakness, not his strength.

He ran to Horeb to hide from his problems and isolate himself from the world. But God so intimately, with a whisper, met with Elijah to restore his weary heart and to make him whole.

He was ready to quit, but God reminded Elijah of His purpose. The cave wasn’t the end. It was a reset. Elijah came out of that cave with new instructions and new strength.

Maybe you feel tucked away right now. Maybe life feels dark or even lonely. You wonder if anything good could come out of this hidden season.

We don’t usually choose the cave. More often, circumstances shove us there — burnout, grief, disappointment, and so on. Like Elijah, we run to hide from it all. But Horeb reminds us that hiddenness is not wasted.

Sometimes, God allows us to be hidden for a while. Not because He’s done with us. Not because He’s forgotten us. But because He’s doing something deep inside of us that can only happen in the quiet. Hidden seasons are often necessary to strip away the noise, the striving, the endless pressure to perform. They force us to rest when we would rather keep running. And though they feel barren, God is at work beneath the surface, strengthening and preparing us for the next season.

So, friend, don’t despise the cave. The cave is not punishment. The cave is protection. The cave is an invitation to rest and listen. Because sometimes, the cave is where miracles begin.

Just like the mama bear bringing new life in the dark, God may be birthing something fresh and new in you.
The cave isn’t the end of your story. Listen for the gentle whisper. Trust that God is at work in the hidden place.

 

 

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