Verse
of the day: Exodus 13:17 Then it
came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change
their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”
We
said yesterday, that even though God’s people were referred to as “army
organized for war”, they were not ready to face any opposition as they were led
out of Egypt by the Lord. For, as they were leaving Egypt, the Lord took them
on a roundabout way in order to avoid the land of the Philistines, who the Lord
knew would try to fight against the Israelites, on their way to the Promise
Land. In doing so, the Lord took them on a lengthy, and challenging, journey
through the wilderness. Did God actually take them on the best possible route?
Well, that is a rhetorical question because the Lord always leads us down the
best paths in life for each of us. We may not all travel on the same path, but
God always chooses the one that is best for us; the one that will allow us to
know Him best, and the one that will bring Him the most glory. In life, there
are going to be many instances when we will be tempted to take shortcuts. There
will be those times when we get impatient, or those times when we have a “brain
cramp” and think that we know better than God when it comes to making decisions
about our “own” lives. May I remind us right now, that if we are a born again
believer our life is not our “own” life. We belong to Jesus, because we have
been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). Nonetheless, God desires to lead
us, and that we trust Him when He takes us along a lengthy path in life that
may be filled with shortcuts that we might be tempted to take. I remember
living in towns, and working in towns, where there were many alley ways that
were short cuts from one place to another. If you stood at one end of the alley
on a main street, you could see the other main street on the other end. People
would often take them to save time, only to be beaten and robbed when they were
halfway to the other side. You see, we may see the other side of our short cuts
in life (in our own thinking and wisdom), but we do not always see the danger
and challenges that exist halfway to the other side. Sadly, when we choose the
shortcuts in life, we often delay our progress because of unforeseen
circumstances that we create for ourselves as a result of not following the
path God has set for us. Just because a shortcut makes sense to us, does not
mean that it is the wisest way to go. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct your paths.” Proverbs 16:9 tells us, “A man’s heart devises his
way: but the LORD directs his steps.” In the case of the Israelites being led
out of Egypt, God makes it clear that one reason He did not take them through
the land of the Philistines was that He knew they were not ready to see war. God
also knew that Pharaoh and his army would pursue His people, and this would be the
opportunity He would use to take vengeance on them, for His people to see, for
the suffering they endured at the hands of the Egyptians. Deuteronomy 8:2 tells
us that God used this journey to humble them, prove them, to know what was in
their hearts, as to whether or not they would keep His commandments. So often
this is the case with us. God will choose the longer, more difficult, path to
test our faith, to show us (not Himself) whether or not we really trust Him,
and to bring us to a place of humility. Too many of us are so filled with pride
that we think we know, better than God, what is best for us. God had also
promised Moses that he would serve God “in this mountain”, and He was going to
keep His promise (Exodus 3:12). Quite often, what seems to be a detour in life
is actually an opportunity to minister for the Lord. When we choose our own
way, we miss opportunities to minister, we miss blessings, and we miss out on
opportunities to gain eternal reward. The bottom line is that not all shortcuts
in life are the best routes, and God already knows that. We must trust that
whatever route He puts us on is ALWAYS the right one. Psalm 107:7 tell us, in respect
to the path God led His people on, “And He led them forth by the right way,
that they might go to a city of habitation.” Rather than complain and try to
find shortcuts when God leads us down a lengthy and difficult path, why not
respond as the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 107:8, “Oh that men would praise the
LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”
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