Why Your 40 Season is a Set-up, Not a Setback

Darla Kernell
May 12
4 min read

Updated: May 14

Finding Hope After the 40 – Set-up? Or set back?

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." – Matthew 4:1-2 (NIV)

Forty. It’s more than just a number. It’s the grind, the grit, the wilderness we didn’t sign up for but somehow found ourselves wandering through. It’s the messy middle – the space between the ache of what was and the mystery of what will be. It's the beginning of a set-up.

Maybe you’re there now – lost in the wilderness, holding on for dear life, and wondering if the struggle will ever end. If that’s you, take a deep breath, friend. You’re not alone, and this season isn’t forever.

I’ve been there. I’ve felt the ground shift beneath my feet, the ache of prayers that seemed to bounce right back off the ceiling, and the unsettling silence when it felt like God had hit the mute button. I’ve clung to God like a kid holding on to their favorite stuffed animal in a thunderstorm – desperate, shaky, and just hoping the storm would pass. I’ve whispered those desperate, "God, are You even listening?" prayers when all I could see was darkness, and I’ve wondered if the pieces of my life – the ones I never thought would break, let alone shatter – could ever be put back together.

But then, friend, the cracks of sunlight broke through the despair. Belly laughs started slipping out when I least expected them, and hope, like a stubborn little weed, started to take root. It’s like the moment you find a French fry at the bottom of your bag – unexpected, small, but a total game-changer.

So if you’re in that place – your own version of 40 – keep going. Your breakthrough is coming.

When 40 Feels Like Forever

Moses climbed the mountain for 40 days, his face forever changed by the encounter.

The Israelites wandered for 40 years, every step a painful reminder of what was lost.

Jesus endured 40 days of hunger and temptation, all alone in the harsh desert heat.

Forty isn’t just a number.It’s a refining fire.

It’s the storm before the breakthrough.

It’s the wilderness before the promise, the silence before the song.

And as much as I’d love to skip the struggle and fast forward to the part where everything is okay, I know now that God is doing something deep in those places.

What to Do While You’re in the 40

Hold On to What You Know – Even when the fog is thick and the path feels uncertain, cling to what you know about God’s faithfulness. His track record is perfect.
Speak Life – In the silence, your words carry power. Speak life over your situation, even when you don’t feel it. It’s like putting air in your tires when you feel flat – it gets you moving again.
Let Go of the Old – The wilderness is a place of stripping away. Release what no longer serves you. Let God clear the rubble to make way for the new.
Keep Moving – Don’t get stuck. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, even if it feels like you’re walking in circles. Progress isn’t always obvious, but it’s still progress. Remember, the Israelites made it out eventually – you will, too.
Rest in the Unknown – Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is be still and trust that God is working, even when you can’t see it. It’s like a crockpot meal – slow, steady, and worth the wait.
Seek Wise Counsel – Find someone who is further along in their walk, someone who can offer perspective without judgment. Also, consider a neutral party to share your thoughts with – someone who will listen without bias. And finally, find a prayer warrior – someone who will stand in the gap for you, because prayer can change the trajectory of your life.

The Season After the 40

I’ve started to come out of that most recent 40-season, and I can see now that it shaped me in ways comfort never could. I’m in a rebuilding season, where the rubble is starting to make sense, and the foundation is being made stronger.

I’ve lived enough life to know that even when I’m in the thick of it – when the days feel endless and the pain feels permanent – it’s not. It’s a chapter, not the whole story. It’s temporary. I’m learning that the wilderness doesn’t get the final word. It may refine me, but it doesn’t define me.

God’s Promise After the 40

God doesn’t waste a single day of our 40. Not one tear, not one prayer, not one shattered dream. He is the God who turns mourning into dancing, ashes into beauty, and wandering into promise.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." – Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

So if you find yourself in a 40-season right now, know this: You’re not forgotten. You’re not lost. You’re being prepared. God is shaping you, stripping away the old, and making room for the new.

And when you finally break through to the other side, when the sun cracks through the darkness, you’ll find that you’ve been made stronger, braver, and more deeply rooted in faith than you ever imagined. That’s because your 40-season isn’t just about survival – it’s about preparation. The deeper the pain, the greater the purpose. God isn’t just bringing you through it, He’s setting you up to do something magnificent.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for bringing me through the 40. Thank You for the valleys, the tears, and the refining fire, because they made me who I am today. Give me the strength to keep rebuilding, to keep walking, and to keep trusting that Your plans are always better than mine. In Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

Challenge

Take a moment today to reflect on a 40-season God has brought you through. Write it down as a testimony of His faithfulness. Share it with me, another friend or whisper it back to God in gratitude – because no season, no matter how dark, lasts forever.