Let the Pit Refine You, Not Define You

There are seasons in life that strip away everything familiar. Moments, where words fall flat, prayers feel unanswered, and you begin to wonder whether God still sees you. Beneath the silence, the confusion, and the ache, something holy is happening, even if it doesn’t feel that way.

This Sunday, I found myself in such a season. I was weighed down by discouragement. I felt like my life looked nothing like the promise God once whispered to me. There was no one to call, no one to lean on, only God. I felt disconnected from the people I cherished. Some friends and family have pulled away. Others, tired of my silence or struggle, stopped reaching out. And when you feel like your life no longer looks like a story worth telling, or even following, it’s hard not to believe the lie that you’ve been forgotten. Still, I dragged myself to church, and I’m so glad I did.

What I encountered wasn’t just a message; it was an encounter with truth that reminded me that life is spiritual. What we see is only 20% of the picture. The remaining 80% is what God is doing behind the scenes. In the hidden places. In the pits.

We began with a piercing word from Pastor Stephen Waiganjo, who shared from Hebrews 5:14. Many people today live by what they see, hear, or feel, yet those are the most unreliable guides. Emotions shift. People change. Circumstances evolve. But in the spirit realm, the truth remains. Discernment is the ability to see what God is doing, even when your world looks like it’s falling apart. It’s the grace to hear divine whispers beneath everyday conversations and recognize heaven’s fingerprints in ordinary moments.

Jesus often spoke in simple parables, yet His words carried layers of revelation. Without discernment, we only graze the surface, missing the life embedded in each line. Discernment isn’t deep-head knowledge; it’s spiritual perception. It’s knowing what God is saying, doing, and revealing, even in silence.

And you don’t stumble into discernment. You train for it. You develop it through the Word, sharpen it in prayer and fasting, and protect it with obedience. A discerning heart can see God’s hand in delay, hear His voice in the storm, and find His purpose in pain. It helps you know when to speak when to be still, when to stay, and when to let go. It brings clarity in confusion and peace in uncertainty. But just as discernment is necessary, so is the fire that tests it.

In the Family service, Pastor Donald Gichane led us through the story of Joseph, a young man anointed with a dream but thrown into a pit. Genesis 37 reveals a painful truth: you can be chosen by God and still be rejected by people. Joseph wasn’t hated because he failed; he was hated because of the dream he carried. And maybe you, too, have been wondering why rejection keeps following you, and why doors keep closing. Why does silence surround you, Could it be that you carry something threatening to the enemy?

The pit is not pleasant. It’s lonely. It feels like God has stepped away. But Pastor Donald reminded us that the pit is a place of refinement. It’s where God strips away our need for human validation, backup plans, and self-reliance so that we look only to Him. The pit is an incubator. Joseph had no water, no comfort, and no explanation. But in that place, the character was being formed. Faith was being anchored. Clarity was being birthed. The palace isn’t where those are made; it’s in the pit.

And as I sat in that service, broken yet listening, I realized that this pit I’ve been walking through, the distance, the disappointment, the silence, isn’t the end. It’s preparation. It’s holy ground.

Many of us are in the gap between the promise and its fulfillment. And the waiting is painful. You know what God said, but everything around you screams otherwise. The enemy whispers, “It’s over.” But it’s not. If you’re in the pit, you’re still in God’s hands. Rejection didn’t cancel the promise; it confirmed it.

Sometimes, what feels like betrayal can be a divine redirection. The job you lost. The relationship ended. The plans fell through. It may have broken your heart, but it didn’t break God’s plan.

The enemy doesn’t know the full picture. But he can sense when something big is coming. That’s why resistance intensifies before release. That’s why storms come after a word. But if you hold fast, if you discern and stay grounded, you’ll walk into the very thing hell tried to keep from you. You may feel buried, but God says: You’ve only been planted.

Discernment, when nourished, will help you navigate these seasons. It will whisper peace in transition, anchor you in divine timing, and protect you from distractions dressed as opportunities. And obedience is what keeps it sharp. Every small yes to God, even when it’s hard, makes His voice louder, His leading clearer, and your heart stronger.

So if you’re in a pit today, discouraged, misunderstood, or weary, know this:

It’s not over until God says it’s over.

The pit is not the end; it’s preparation.

The delay is not denial, it’s divine timing.

The silence is not absence, it’s sacred stillness.

Hold on. Stay faithful. Keep praying. Keep discerning.

Because soon, what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no heart has imagined, that is what God is preparing for you.

You may not feel it yet. But heaven is moving. And God is with you, still