The shortest path is not always the best - Exodus 13: 17-18

We all know more or less the history of the Israelites. It took them 40 years to enter the promised land, on a trip that normally should not last more than a few weeks. As we possibly also know, almost all the delay was due to his own disobedience. When the time to enter the promised land had finally arrived, they were scared and backed away. The result was that it took them 40 more years to go to earth! and only 2 people from the initial generation were able to enter. All the others died in the desert and it was their children who entered instead of them. We are not going to concentrate on the exercise of disobedience. However, God's original plan was NOT to have them in the desert for 40 years. However, God delayed a little the plan of his entry into the earth. Not for years but a little more than the shortest way. The corresponding passage is found in Exodus 13: 17-18 where it says:

What impresses me in this passage is the fact that God did not take the people by the shortest route but preferred a slightly longer route. Sometimes we sail on a trip which we hope will last a certain time. We hope to find some work at a certain age, get married at a certain age, have children and live up to a certain age. It may not be an illogical plan. We may have planned things when we saw them in our world. And the way we plan them may be correct and work that way. But not always. At least it was not so in the case of the Israelites; in my case in certain things and quite possibly also in your life. Sometimes the time goes by in a while and it seems that our lives are drifting away from our expectations. We wonder what we are doing in the desert that looks like the "Red Sea desert". If some years ago you had told me that I was going to be in Germany, working where I am, I would have told you that it is impossible, because it was completely out of my plans. I have probably planned my life in the same way that you have planned yours. But it did not turn out that way. Not living the alternative (what I had planned), I do not know if it's better or worse, I do not know and may never know. You do not know it and you may never know - perhaps before you see the one sitting on the throne - why things turned out that way, because you are still waiting for something that you thought was the simplest thing in the world. Things may have happened that you never imagined. You may have planned your life the way I planned mine but ... I have good news for you: GOD TAKES YOU. There is the case of the desert due to disobedience. Right now I do not want to talk about that. I hope that's not your case. If yes, the answer is OBEDIENCE. "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4: 8). But this is not the purpose of this article. The purpose is the expectation not fulfilled. The cases in which it seems that God takes. "God" we say, "I expect from You more than I ask or understand. And so the years go by in a while and I never see my prayer answered. " And God says through the mouth of the Lord with the parable of the widow (Luke 18: 1-5): "Do not stop praying son. I do not give up on you. "We say to God," God, you have written that the hope that is delayed is torment for the heart. And now it seems that Yourself act as if you never wrote about it. " And God says "be patient". Brother, what God tells you today is to be patient. Follow the Lord's guidance, trust in Him and He will. He will give you the desires of your heart. That may not be what your mind says. After years and years you may have abandoned your dreams and divine desires. I would like to encourage you to get up. God does not give up on you. The God you saw the first time you believed, is the same today as well. God NEVER changes (James 1:17). Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13: 8). The God of great wonders before Pharaoh is the same one who takes you through the desert as well. Do not give up, admitting a defeat that is not there! If God does not take you straight to what he promised you, it's only because he LOVES you. Your main concern is not time, but YOU. It was not his concern to have the Israelites in the promised land a few weeks before. Their greatest concern was THEY. If you look at the passage, it is as if God is skeptical. God is not a machine, a robot. It's Someone who thinks. Think of yourself and your good. In this case, I was worried about the Israelites, that if they went the shortest way they could see the war and thus return to Egypt! My friend, God thinks of you. The shortest way can have things that you can not deal with. Have you ever thought that if everything came as you planned, you would have returned to Egypt, to the world again? You do not know. Me neither. But I do know something; that whatever I have, wherever I am now, is the path that the Lord has chosen for me. And in that I have peace. Because God guides the way and He only chooses the best for me. And the best thing is to be close to Him, even if the way seems to be a little longer. The purpose is NEVER to shorten the promises. The promises will come, because God has SPOKEN. But without the danger of being afraid and falling back, or being tempted and doing the same. The path of your life may not be exactly what you planned. But I can tell you, it's like GOD planned it. It is GOD who thought so for you. And being that way, it's the best thing. Get up, walk that path, live for today, do not worry about tomorrow and God will guide your life, Not to frustration but to what you expect, not ... to more than what you think and expect. Do not give up on what is divine. Do not stop praying for that.