Last time, we learned God often leads us on the long way to His best for our lives though we would prefer the shortest fastest route. So, why does God take us the long way? Well, had there been a military strategist back in Exodus 13:17-18, they would surely have disagreed with the route God chose, because it was too long! Certainly, they would have asked why anyone would take several million people the long way when there was a shorter and easier route available to them.
The reason God often takes us the long way is because He knows what is best for us. He knows the best route for us. Even though we may not understand or agree, His way is always the best. Think about a time you wanted something or someone and God didn’t allow it to happen. Most likely, sometime later you discovered how messed up your life would have been if God had given you what you wanted. God, as the Alpha and Omega, knows what is ahead and whether we are ready for it. For the Nation of Israel, God allowing them to take the shorter path would have been disastrous as there were Egyptian military posts all along that route. God knew there were not prepared for battle because their trust in Him was not yet that strong.
God moves in the life of every believer with a principle and pattern in mind. We find it throughout Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:23, Matthew 4:1, Deuteronomy 8:2, and more). The principle is “out of Egypt, though the wilderness, into the Promised Land.” We see it in the lives of the Nation of Israel, in the life of Jesus, and in the life of anyone who commits to living for Him. In the wilderness, we must trust and depend on God. The wilderness is where we learn to pray, praise, and worship. It is where we show God our hearts.
Of course, the reverse can also be true. Like the Israelites, in the wilderness, we may start complaining and asking to go back to our “Egypt.” Complaining (by our mouth or by our actions) is not trusting. The Israelites took 40 years to go through their wilderness. Jesus took only 40 days. You may have heard the saying, “God will get 40 out of you” but do you know what it means? We will all go through our wilderness, but we decide the length of our wilderness season by whether or not we trust God and how quickly we get to our place of trust.
Jesus went into the wilderness and trusted God and His wilderness season ended in 40 days. The Nation of Israel went into the wilderness and struggled to trust God… and it took them 40 years. How long will it take you?