Last week, we discovered why trusting means God is first. By trusting God with our firsts, the standard is set for everything in our lives. Israel’s exodus from Egypt was the beginning of their experience with God, not the end. He had done incredible things in their lives, and it was only the start!
It took only one night to get Israel out of Egypt, but it would take much longer to get Egypt out of Israel. In Exodus 13:17-18, we read this, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So, God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea…” God wasn’t taking them on the short route to the promised land but intentionally took them the long way around the desert toward the Red Sea.
God was up to good for the Israelites – He had a plan and a purpose for them (Jeremiah 29:11). He chose the route which would fulfill His plan for their lives – not the short route. Biblical archaeologists and historians discovered the quickest and most direct route would have gotten the Israelites to the promised land in 11 days. But God didn’t lead them that way, instead taking them on the longer route, and He did it on purpose!
Just as He did for the Nation of Israel, God is up to good concerning us. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives, but getting to God’s best is not often accomplished by the direct or straightest route. When we are driving to a new destination, we hope in the care and put the address in our navigation app. We are then given route options and if you’re like me, you probably choose the shortest route. Most of us have the same mentality when it comes to the things of God and yet God rarely chooses the shorter route! Often, He takes on a circuitous route with turns and bends which, a path which often doesn’t make much sense to us. As we travel the road God has set before us, may we understand, God often takes on the longer route on purpose to lead us to His best for our lives.