“And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt. But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness” (Exodus 13: 17, 18 KJV).
If we’ve been driving very long, we’ve experienced a detour. A detour is designed to direct us off the main road, through side streets, back to the main road and our intended destination because the main road is unsafe or being repaired. The detour is made up of a roadblock and signs pointing us in the right direction.
If we’ve been Christians very long, we’ve experienced God’s divine detours. God’s detours are also made up of a roadblock and an alternate route that ultimately leads us back to the path we left, but further along.
God’s detours are designed to keep us from hitting head-on something we’re not prepared for. By taking the detour, we go through the preparations we need for what lies ahead.
When we were first saved, we were full of zeal and vigor and ready to charge Hell with a water pistol. But that was because we did not know the enemy’s strength and our own weakness. God knew if we had been left to our own devices, we would have been terribly defeated and would have been ready to quit. So, he set up a detour to mold us into a soldier of the cross.
Our calling may be to preach the gospel, and we want to get at it immediately. But God detours us and sends us to Bible College so we can be firmly grounded in the doctrines of the church before we actually start our ministry.
As the detours on the highway take longer to navigate than going straight down the highway, so God’s detours are often delays, but meaningful and purposeful delays.
Because Israel as slaves coming out of Egypt were inexperienced in battle and would have been defeated by the Philistines and would have repented or changed their mind about wanting to be delivered from slavery and would have returned to Egypt, God detoured them through the wilderness and there, through the years, molded them into a great army.
Sometimes we are certain of ourselves and our strength and believe we can handle what lies ahead with no difficulty. But God knows we’re not quite ready and so He sends us down a detour to get us ready. These detours can depress us and discourage us and be disappointing if we don’t see that they are for our good. So, we must trust God and be patient as we take what seems like the long way around.
Thank God for divine detours.
