Life’s path is
often difficult. So if we expect that God will always give us an easy road, we
may be tempted to turn our back on Him when the terrain gets tough.
If you’ve ever
considered doing that, think about the people of Israel. When they were given
freedom from the Egyptians after hundreds of years of bondage, they took off
for the Promised Land. But God didn’t send them straight home. He “did not lead
them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter” (Ex.
13:17). Instead He sent them on the hard road through the desert. In the short
run, this helped them avoid wars (v. 17), but in the long run, there was
something bigger at work.
God used that
time in the desert to instruct and mature the people He had called to follow
Him. The easy road would have led them to disaster. The long road prepared the
nation of Israel for their successful entry into the Promised Land.
Our God is
faithful, and we can trust Him to lead us and care for us no matter what we
face. We may not understand the reason for the path we are on, but we can trust
Him to help us grow in faith and maturity along the way.
God’s timing is always right – wait patiently for Him. (ODB)
