Taking the Long Route

“All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10, ESV) 

Do you depend on your phone’s GPS as much as I do? I freely admit that I am directionally challenged. It’s been a lifelong affliction, but I’ve learned to laugh instead of cry when I become lost. That sometimes happens even with a GPS. Recently, I needed to drive a friend to an unfamiliar location. When I checked the route on my phone, it offered three choices. I picked the shortest, fastest route. Isn’t that the logical choice?

THE LONGER ROUTE

The children of Israel had been in Egyptian bondage for four hundred years. Finally, God sent Moses to lead them to freedom and the land He had promised Abraham long ago. Of course, people moving toward freedom and a new home would desire the shortest route. But the short route was not where their GPS (God’s Positioning System) led them. Instead, He sent them across the Red Sea and through the wilderness.

Why would God choose that route for them? For their protection. They had already faced so much just to escape Egypt’s slavery and were neither emotionally nor physically ready for battle. If He sent them on the short route, those battles would discourage them. They might even turn back to Egypt.

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. (Exodus 13:17-18, ESV)

The wilderness way was not without its own dangers. Deuteronomy 8:14 describes it as a “great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water” (ESV). Most of us would prefer being just about anywhere except in such harsh surroundings. Yet God knew this was the better path for them. There were lessons to be learned in the wilderness that they would not otherwise learn.

OUR WILDERNESS JOURNEY

When we go through times of difficulty and testing, we often refer to it as having a wilderness experience. We feel weary and discouraged and begin to question why God allows such things to happen to one of His children. Does He even care? When such thoughts overwhelm us, we must never allow bitterness to take root. Remember, the hardships we face in the wilderness may be much less severe than the unknown battles we never had to fight.

When God led the Israelites on the longer route, it was for their own good. He was not punishing them; He was protecting them from unknown dangers. The same is true today. God will use our wilderness experiences to protect us, teach us, and refine us. We may not recognize it at the time, but He is using those difficult experiences to refine us and prepare us to be used in even greater ways for His glory.

We must allow the wilderness road to:

• Increase our faith.
• Teach us valuable lessons.
• Demonstrate God’s power and provision.
• Help us mature in our walk with God.
• Reveal our character and what is in our heart.

“And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2, ESV)

The road God places upon may wind many miles through wilderness areas, but eventually that road will lead us to new locations with different scenery. God goes with us on the journey because He loves us unconditionally.

PRAYER: Lord, the wilderness experience may not be easy, but I know that You are always with me. You are giving me the opportunity to grow my relationship with You and learn lessons that will help me in the future. Thank You for loving me and guiding me through life.

Devotion by Mary Loudermilk