Die to Self and Live for Me: The Slaying That Called Me Higher

By Frances Rosario | Arise & Shine

“Die to self and live for Me.”

Those were the words the Lord whispered to me. Not in thunder, not with applause, but in the stillness. And yet, that whisper shook everything in me.

I didn’t know at the time that He was calling me into a Cherith season, a place of divine cutting, separation and provision, like the one Elijah experienced in 1 Kings 17.

“And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” (1 Kings 17:2-4 ESV)

Cherith.

It means "cutting."

It means "separation."

It means “being hidden for a purpose.”

And it was there that I found myself, pulled away from what was familiar, stripped of all distractions, and drawn deeper into the presence of God.

What felt like isolation was really sanctification.

I was no longer allowed to lean on the noise of people’s opinions, the affirmations of others, or even the false comforts I had built around my wounds. This was where God began to feed me with knowledge, insight, and truth. Like Elijah, I was sustained in the wilderness by supernatural provision, but instead of ravens, I was nourished by the testimonies of other faith-filled women, the stories of biblical heroines, and the healing presence of the Holy Spirit.

In my Cherith season, I found:

• Inner healing from past traumas I never spoke aloud.

• A renewed identity rooted in Christ, not performance or perfection.

• The courage to release self-deception disguised as faith.

• The ability to distinguish between solitude (with God) and isolation (without hope).

• The discipline of stillness, not being stuck, but being steady.

• The wisdom to not settle, to wait on the Lord, and to trust His timing.

• The strength to let go of opinions and approvals that once tethered me.

• The holy realization that I have a right to walk in my God-given destiny.

Cherith was never about punishment. It was about preparation.

God was calling me higher because He was preparing me to lead the Daughters of Zion. Women who, like me, have walked through pain. Women who need someone to see them, know them, and speak life into their dry bones. Women who are ready to stop hiding behind roles and titles and truly live as the daughters they were created to be.

If you're in your own Cherith season right now, hear me: You're not being forgotten, you're being formed. Let God prune. Let Him purify. Let Him prepare you.

You were never meant to stay stuck. You were meant to rise.

Scripture Meditation:

"You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” – Song of Songs 4:7

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” – Hosea 2:14

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30