Exodus 13:17,18 “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.”
The Israelites left Egypt ready to fight for their freedom, ready to go into battle, ready for whatever was in store. Or so they thought. But God knew better. He knew their hearts, and He knew their minds. He knew that they had so much to learn before they were ready for the battles that were ahead of them.
First, they had to learn to trust that God would fight for His people. When Pharaoh pursued them they were terrified! The Israelites wanted to give up, cry “uncle,” and return to slavery in Egypt. Their backs were against the sea, and they were facing an angry army with no way to turn. They cried to the Lord, and Moses answered their fears, saying “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you only need to be still.” And oh, how He fought for them! He parted the sea, led them across on dry ground, and destroyed their enemies. How is that for taking care of the problem? The Lord God fought for them and won mightily.
Then they had to learn to trust that God would provide for them. Obviously, wandering around in the desert is difficult and hard. But if God had just destroyed your enemies, one might think that you would trust that God would not let you starve nor thirst to death. But not the Israelites! They grumbled and griped, moaned and groaned. Yet God provided manna with the dew, and water from rocks. When they whined for meat he even glutted them with quail. He met their needs, and then some.
Finally, the Israelites had to learn to trust that God’s ways were for their benefit. During those forty years that they wandered in the wilderness, God was teaching them His nature, His character, and His ways. He taught them how He expects to be worshipped, and how to treat others. He taught them to be different than the other nations, because He called them His own and they were to be image bearers, reflection of Himself. Learning to trust Him in all things is a daily lesson that lasts a lifetime, so God took them the long way.
My writing journey has been similar to the journey of the Israelites, because I also have to go the long way. God knew that when I faced difficulties that I would want to return to the known and the comfortable instead of pushing into unknown territory and vulnerability. I have put off writing because of fear – fear of rejection, fear of lack of ability, and even fear of failure/success. I didn’t write for many years because I thought that I lacked time, but really I didn’t make writing a priority. I also failed to write because I was simply being stiff-necked and disobedient to the call that God has given me. I am still learning to truly walk in God’s complete trustworthiness , but knowing that He is good and only does good, I am writing and will continue to write until He tells me to stop.
Won’t you join me on my writing journey? Like the Israelites, my topics will wander, but I promise to always meander back to the faithfulness of God.
How has God taken you the “long way around?” I’m looking to keep the conversation going in the comments.
Fantastic! I will join you on your writing journey!
You beat me to this! Re-reading the Bible, in Exodus now and it occurs to me as I criticize the Israelites…hey, ‘they’ are me! Great work here! Keep up the fire! God bless
Sharon, loved reading your commentary and I look forward to reading more of your gleanings from The Word and your life experiences.
I too have lived through a ” wandering in the desert” experience that has lasted over 10years as Skip and I have journeyed through loss of a business, loss of all our retirement, and seemingly insurmountable amounts of payments to vendors, and taxes that we had to repay. It has been a tough, heartbreaking time but also God has used it to grow our faith and strengthen our marriage in ways that we never might have experienced otherwise.
Daily depending on the Lord for His Provision has taken on real meaning for us and total dependence on Him for our future has been a lesson lovingly taught by our God who is ever Faithful.
Sharon, I have been known to take the “scenic route” on more than one occasion myself. It took me over thirty years to publish my Bible study, but God kept reminding me to come back to it. I am thankful he doesn’t give up on us and is willing to use us in spite of wandering nature. I look forward to seeing how he uses your writings!
I have been on many journeys in my life but the one I’m on right now is the toughest ever. My dad had open heart surgery on January 3. January 4 he suffered a stroke. A week later he had another stroke. He will never be my dad again. We are trusting God to do what is best for all of us.