The long path to the promise
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There are seasons when God does things quick, fast, and in a hurry. The turnarounds are instantaneous, and the miracles are awe-inspiring. Then there are times when He takes us on a longer, slower, more difficult journey to the promise. If we’re honest, the slower route can feel quite frustrating.
But today, God is sending this uplifting message to assure you that He knows what He’s doing and why He is taking you on this specific path. And if you trust Him, you will receive your predestined promise and reap the incredible harvest stored up for the one who trusts God’s timing.
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There’s a short and scenic 20-minute drive that separates my house from my office. Usually, I don’t see a whole lot of scenery because I zip along the expressway to save precious time. But recently, calamity struck in the form of an accident. So, my trusty GPS knew what to do next – reroute!
Although taking the scenic route through city streets wasn’t ideal, I was grateful to be missing out on expressway gridlock caused by a serious collision. Thanks to the reroute, I arrived at an important team meeting just in time; I had to be there in person. Turns out this little detour, though it took me the long way, was a divine intervention.
My unexpected navigation adventure got me thinking. Aren't we all a little too rigid and impatient sometimes? We believe that certain roads are the quickest and only way to our goals, forgetting that God can have other twists and turns in store for us that are blessings in disguise. As I drove and stopped for numerous traffic lights that day, I pondered the blessing of rerouting and detours.
This led me to recall a biblical detour described in Exodus 13:17-19. This account follows the Israelites’ trek from Egypt to their Promised Land, Canaan. This roller coaster of a story kicks off after God afflicts Egypt with ten ferocious plagues. Finally, after the final, horrible plague— the death of the firstborn—hard-hearted Pharaoh had finally had enough. He waved his white flag and agreed to release his Israelite captives.
So, after God rescued His people from the oppressive role of forced servitude in Egypt, one might assume that the Lord would then lead His people the shortest route to their next destination.
But one would assume wrong.
You see, going through Philistine territory was the quick way. Heading along that path would have been the equivalent of taking the expressway to Canaan, the Promised Land. But God didn’t lead them that way. Instead, He directed these weary travelers down a longer path through the desert towards the Red Sea. Taking the long path to the promise would seem counterintuitive and counterproductive, wouldn’t it?
Why the long way?
Why take Israel the long way? I mean, hadn’t Israel waited long enough for deliverance? According to Exodus 12:41, it took exactly 430 years for God’s people to leave Egypt. Man, after 430 days, just a little over a year, we would start getting all dramatic and complaining, like, God I have waited forever! Try 430 years.
So again, why the wait?
Well, the Philistines, Israel’s mortal enemies, were first mentioned during the time of Abraham in the Hebrew Bible. In Genesis 10:14, they are listed among the descendants of Noah's son, Ham. According to biblical accounts, the Philistines frequently clashed with the Israelites and posed a constant threat to their territories. They were portrayed as powerful and aggressive adversaries, as their conflicts with Israel are highlighted in various books of the Bible –Judges, Samuel, and Kings.
The Philistines were hugely problematic for Israel. And it didn’t help that they controlled important trade routes which gave them economic power in the region. The animus between these two groups became a central theme in the Old Testament, representing a broader struggle between the people of God and their enemies.
When we look at Exodus 13:17-19 knowing all these things, we can better understand why God chose the longer route for Israel. You see, in His infinite wisdom, He knew that if Israel took the shorter route through Philistine territory and faced war with these formidable opponents too early on their journey, they could become discouraged and retreat back to Egypt. It wasn’t that God couldn’t win the battle; it was just that the Israelites weren’t ready to fight the battle. The land was theirs for the taking, but they weren’t mentally prepared for the taking of the land.
In verse 18, God Himself says, “If the people see that they have to fight, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”
He knew that throwing them right into battle would have had disastrous results because they weren’t ready to face the Philistines. This wasn’t a knock against God’s power; it was an acknowledgment of Israel’s humanity.
Look, God knows just how much pressure to apply to avoid killing your spirit and causing the premature birth of a vision that won’t have all the components it needs to survive. When a woman goes into preterm labor leading to premature birth, there is a higher risk of the child’s premature death. If we make this a spiritual analogy, you can see why God will often tell you to be still. He knows that if you start laboring, toiling, and striving toward a thing too soon—what is known as preterm labor—the outcome will be premature birth of an underdeveloped vision that has no chance of survival.
God knows when you’re ready.
I get that you may feel eager, ready and empowered to take all the territory that belongs to you and possess every promise God made to you. I so get it. But in God’s Kingdom, it is not your feelings of readiness but His timing that matters.
When we speak of the timing of God, what do we mean by that? In Greek, there are two important words for time that indicate something totally different. The Greek word Chronos refers to chronological or sequential time, the measure of hours, minutes, and seconds. Chronos represents the linear, measurable time that humans experience in our daily lives. Make sense?
Now Kairos, on the other hand, refers to a different understanding of time. It denotes a moment of opportunity, the right or opportune time for God's actions and purposes to unfold. It emphasizes the importance of God's timing over human plans and schedules. Kairos, or divine timing, is so important, when the fulness of time comes for something to happen in your life, Chronos and Kairos align. When this happens, I like to describe that as the collision of time and destiny. This is when things start to happen!
I know it can be frustrating when you’re looking at Chronos—how much literal time has passed. You can start feeling overlooked and begin asking God the question that David asked Him in Psalm 13:1, “Will you forget me forever?” But I tell you all the time that God has not forgotten you. In fact, He cannot.
In Isaiah 44:21 (NLT), God says to us, “I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you.” Then, in Isaiah 49:15 (NIV), God says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
I am a mother of four. Motherhood has been and continues to be one of my greatest joys! In our twenties, my husband Kenya and I said we wanted eight children. Well, we got halfway there, right? But I recall nursing each of our four infants, because mother’s milk is the best. Nursing our babies was the most precious, most beautiful, and important bonding experience of my life. So, when I read this Scripture where God asks if a mother can forget the baby at her breast, it evokes such strong imagery and powerful emotion because such a thing is unfathomable. That’s the point God is making. It is unthinkable that He would ever forget you, His child.
Therefore, when lots of time passes and God takes you the long way, it is not because God has failed to take notice of you and your needs. It is not because He forgot. It is not because He has changed His mind. It’s just that He knows both what you need and when you are ready to receive it and handle it.
Until that time comes when Chronos and Kairos align, the delay works for you, not against you. It gives you time to get ready for all God has for you in the here and now, as well as the hereafter.
Speaking of now, you might be in a season where you don’t have the strength, energy, mental capacity, spiritual maturity, stewardship, experience, or even the fortitude to receive what God has for you. That’s why He sometimes delays things. He reroutes you. He slows things down a bit. He lovingly guides you along the best path, even if it is a longer path that extends the time it takes to get to your destination.
It’s better to take a longer time to get there and be ready than to rush there and not be ready to take on what God has ordained and stored up for you. He knows the future and what’s up ahead. He is aware of what you will encounter and takes your level of readiness into consideration at every point. God is always working and doing what’s best to protect us from anything that could derail our purpose. Trust His sovereignty and His plan.
God knows the real truth.
When God rerouted the Israelites toward the Red Sea by way of the wilderness road, verse 19 tells us that they exited Egypt arrayed for battle. In other words, they were in battle formation. They were marching in orderly ranks. To see them in formation, someone may have thought that they were in tip-top shape and ready for war. But God knew better than that. He understood and could see their true psychology, mentality, and reality.
We can fool others with our outward appearance. We can look good, can’t we? But God knows the truth. We can talk a good game. But God knows the truth. You and I can get in full formation all we want, but if the fullness of time has not come to take on a specific task or role, God will either delay us, deny us, or detour us.
Don’t get upset or discouraged when this happens. Instead, be thankful. Thank God that He loves you too much to give you something before its time. If you receive an out-of-season breakthrough, what is designed to bless you can destroy you. Trust that God knows what He’s doing despite you not understanding it.
Romans 11:34 asks this question: “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
Sometimes, we get a little bit beside ourselves, and we think we can advise the Lord and that we know better than Him. What a foolish mistake. God asked in Job 38:4, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.” Proverbs 8:29 reminds us that it was God who set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. He sets the limits, the boundaries, the timelines, and the course of your destiny. He reroutes you as necessary and shifts you in alternative directions as He sees fit. It’s your job just to say, “Yes, Lord.”
The Lord is speaking to somebody right now and telling you, “Don’t miss your blessing because you’re too stubborn to take the path that I have set for you. It’s not about your preferred timeline, methodology, or strategy; it is about My purpose.” In all things, surely, the purpose of the Lord will prevail!
God knows your true feelings.
God knows that you don’t always enjoy the reroute. You don’t always welcome the change. You don’t always celebrate the transition. You don’t always smile and skip your way down that extra-long path to the promise. Sometimes, you go down that path with tears rolling down your cheeks and with depression trying to beat you down. You don’t have to like it; you just have to submit to it. There is a blessing in submitting to the will of God, the One who always knows best.
You think He isn’t aware of your true feelings? Of course, He is. God is not surprised when we don’t necessarily prefer—and certainly did not pray for—this specific career path, ministry direction, relationship status, financial position, health dilemma, or timeline.
Everything in us may be screaming out, Lord, this timeline isn’t right! This delay is too long. This reroute puts me further away from my goals. This transition is forcing me to start over or start slower. This way puts me at a disadvantage.
Ever felt like that? I know how you feel. But God told me to ask you, who told you that this reroute is worse than your idea? Who convinced you that you know better than God?
What God has in store for you is so much better than you imagine. “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).
Just say yes.
If you learn to shift when He shifts, move when He moves, trust Him when you can’t trace Him, and say yes to His will and way, you will be so blessed. You will reap harvests that you didn’t plant. Walk through doors that you didn’t knock on. Step into opportunities you weren’t looking for. Receive breakthroughs that you didn’t even think about. And be set on paths that lead to prosperity, favor, and fulfillment.
Say yes to the detour. Walk by faith down that long path to the promise. Give up your ideas, plans, and preferences. Stop trying to convince God that the shorter route is better. Don’t despise the small beginnings. Stop assuming that your season of suffering will lead you to destruction.
Let God frame your thinking about what your phase of delay and suffering is producing. According to 1 Peter 5:10 (ESV)—which is the sweetener I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration—“After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, trust that God knows you’re weary, and you feel ready to give up. The enemy has tried to convince you that you will never step into a new season where things happen faster. The devil says, you’ll always be last. You’ll always struggle. You’ll always get passed over. You’ll always get your heart broken. You’ll always be in last place. You’ll always battle this affliction. You will never move forward, so just go on and give up.
But I’m here to tell you that God says different. If you trust God, keep walking by faith, and remain confident in His plan, you will witness an amazing outcome that will be well worth the wait.
Now, let’s pray.
God, there are times when I feel the frustration of impatience turn into discouragement and fuel a defeated mindset. That’s why I thank You so much for sending this word to snatch me out of the valley of disappointment, cleanse me of the residue of broken dreams, and renew my faith in Your majestic power, sovereign will, and unfailing plan. When I get weary from walking the long path to the promise, please bring Your word back to my memory to encourage me, according to Galatians 6:9, not to be weary in well-doing, for in due season, I shall reap if I don’t faint. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
