God is taking you an indirect route
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God does not always take you the shortest, easiest, most straightforward or predictable path. Sometimes, friend, He leads you in a different direction to get you to your predestined place of promise.
Since you know that He is faithful to carry you through anything, when your life changes course, you can remain confident in His faithfulness. Everything He said He will do for you, He will do it—just, perhaps, not the way you were thinking.
So, be open to divine detours while remaining sure that God never does anything haphazardly. Unlike people, He moves with purpose every single time He does anything.
Speaking of doing things haphazardly, a few weeks ago on a random afternoon, I got the (not so) bright idea to cut my hair. And not just a little trim either. Nope. I hacked nearly all my hair off. Some newborn babies have more hair than I was left with that day!
And why did I cut my hair on a day when the weather forecast was predicting that the temperature would drop down into the 20s? Being nearly bald in frigid weather is not fun. Whenever a cool breeze blew, it felt like somebody was icing my scalp. Brrr!
My hair has grown a little since that day, but it’s still quite short. The length reminds me of when I first went natural and did the big chop back in March 2015. However, my teeny-weeny afro was longer then; that’s how much of my hair I snipped.
I wish I could say why I did it, but I truly don’t know. Truly.
Last month, when I did that random big chop, ironically, it marked the eight-year anniversary of my natural hair journey. And since eight is the number of new beginnings, let’s just say I started over.
Okay, honestly, this is just me trying to bring logic and reason to a stupid decision. Let’s face it, I was bald and cold for no reason. Ha!
Don’t get me wrong, though. I love short hair and think it looks beautiful. Still, I own the fact that there was no reason for me to hack off my coils like that. No reason whatsoever.
Have you ever done something and didn’t know why—like, there was no real rhyme or reason? It wasn’t necessarily bad, but maybe unnecessary and purposeless?
Well, humans do stuff like that all the time. God, on the other hand, doesn’t. As I stated, every move He makes has purpose, even when He does things a totally different way than you were expecting.
“God is going to bless you in a different way. It won’t be what you were expecting. It will be better!”
In 2 Samuel 5:17-25, God switched course when David was under attack. The Philistines, David’s longtime rivals, heard that he had been anointed king over all Israel and went after him. Facing a formidable enemy, David did exactly what he should have done and prayed and asked God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?”
The Lord responded, “Go up, for I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you.” However, that wasn’t the Lord’s full command. God also told David, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the baka-shrubs. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baka-shrubs, then you shall act promptly, for then the Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines” (vv. 23-24).
In other words, God said, David, let me take you on an indirect route. I want to offer you a new approach, something different. And if you trust me, it will lead to victory. Well, David wisely did as God instructed and thus defeated his enemies.
Listen, if you are in a season where God has ordained a detour, you may not fully understand what God is doing, but you can fully trust Him anyway. Stand firm in your faith. Declare that this indirect route, this road that leads you off the beaten path also leads to manifestation, the fulfillment of promises, blessings, favor, and victory!
Keep walking by faith and not by sight. And as you wait for God to reveal the full scope of His plan, don’t be put off by the fact that His ways aren’t always logical, practical, or understandable. They don’t need to be. You just keep believing, and watch God keep on working. I promise you, at the right time, everything will come together.
Today, God is leading me to stir Isaiah 55:8-9 (The Message) into your cup of inspiration. In these verses He says, “I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, let me reiterate, don’t try to figure God out. Instead, trust Him to work things out. He will do it. He will perform miracles. Open doors. Make ways. And move by His power.
Be like David when God changes your plans; trust and obey. These two actions will lead to untold blessings and victorious outcomes!
Now pray this prayer with me.
God, I don’t always understand Your ways. There are so many hopes and dreams I have, so many promises You have spoken over me, and so many things about which I am still waiting for clarity. But thank You for sending this word to assure me that my set time of breakthrough is on the way. I believe that everything will come together for me in the best way possible—according to Your perfect will. 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!
