Trusting God's Roundabout Paths for Growth and Preparation
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Sermon Clips
"But it says when Pharaoh finally let the people go in our text, God did not lead them along the main road that runs. It runs through the Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the promised land. When Pharaoh let them go, God chose not to lead them on this area. It was a trade route known as the Via Maris. It was a well-traveled route that would have taken them to the promised land. It would have taken them to Canaan in a matter of weeks. The most direct route. It was about a 380-mile journey. It was about an 11-day journey. It would take about 11 days to traverse. And I've already mentioned that I'm not the most patient driver." [00:07:17] (51 seconds)
"And sometimes it feels like we're working hard, but we're not seeing the advancement that we thought we would see by now. Anybody ever been there? It seems like we're doing everything that we know to do. But it seems sometimes like other people are flying past you in the fast lane. And you're like, God, when is this going to happen? And God's God's promise. You things and God's given you a vision and God's given you a dream and God's given you a promise. But it seems like everybody around you is moving, but you're just kind of moving along one inch at a time. And sometimes it's like, God, can I can I switch lanes?" [00:10:02] (45 seconds)
"Some of us spend our life. Chasing. Convenience. In our relationships. In our habits. In our faith. And we're frustrated that it isn't working. And sometimes the frustration and darkness isn't tied to our circumstances, but it's tied to our impatience and our lack of trust in God's plan." [00:11:11] (35 seconds)
"And convenience isn't always bad. Thank God for instant oatmeal and for instapots. Anybody enjoying instapots? My wife got one. It's miraculous. It's changed our family and speeds up the process of cooking that meat. But we serve not an instant pot God, but we serve a crock pot God." [00:12:09] (26 seconds)
"And so sometimes he leads us into the wilderness. Not, not to punish us, but to prepare us. We see it as punishment. God's saying it's not punishment. It's preparation because the wilderness is always a place of testing. It's always a place of, of growth. He says, I need you to learn, to trust me completely because what I have prepared for you, what I have called you into, I need you to be ready for it because it's going to require total dependence and trust and the Philistines. We mentioned the Philistines in verse 18." [00:13:07] (44 seconds)
"And God knew that he had just miraculously rescued his people and they still needed to grow in their faith. See, it's, it's easy to look back in retrospect. We can look back at their story now and realize why God did what he did and what God was doing. And the. Preparation that, that God was doing. But when you're in the middle of it, it's difficult to see, but, but God knew if they faced a battle too soon, if there was an opportunity that presented itself too soon, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt. And they had just broken free 400 years of bondage in Egypt." [00:14:05] (44 seconds)
"The development of our talents, the increase in our treasures, the, the, the wisdom. That God wants to give you. It doesn't come quickly. You've got to prepare yourself. You've got to train. And this, this is what I've come to tell somebody. Stop cursing the roundabouts that are slowing you down and start trusting the one who put it there to save your life." [00:16:48] (37 seconds)
"The pursuit of convenience becomes problematic when it starts dictating our decisions and shaping our values, leading us from the very challenges that prepare us for where God is trying to take us. The path of resistance, the wilderness in our lives, the pauses, the detours are what God has given us to prepare us for what he has prepared for us." [00:19:55] (35 seconds)
"God's path. Often leads to detours and roundabouts. But there's joy if we look for it. In the middle of the roundabout, in the middle of the detour, God says, I'm still going to guide you. How do we know that? Well, Exodus 13, 21 says, The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light. At night, with a pillar of fire, this allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. You know what that means? God does not abandon us in the roundabout." [00:23:21] (53 seconds)
"The freedom that I have for you, the purpose that I have for you is dependent upon your willingness to walk with me and to trust me. And listen, all of us at one time or the other have chosen the shorter route, no judgment. And sometimes I still do. But I just want to tell somebody, don't go back to Egypt in your attitude. Don't go back to Egypt in your value system. Don't go back to Egypt for pleasure." [00:25:30] (32 seconds)
"And we look back and sometimes we realize, thank God He did not give me what I wanted. But He gave me what I needed. Thank you, God, for not answering every prayer that I prayed. Because it's what I thought I wanted. You gave me what I needed. And spiritual journeys, they're not linear. They're zigs and they're zags. And there's pauses. And sometimes things slow way down. And other times they accelerate." [00:28:30] (41 seconds)
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"And sometimes it feels like we're working hard, but we're not seeing the advancement that we thought we would see by now. Anybody ever been there? It seems like we're doing everything that we know to do. But it seems sometimes like other people are flying past you in the fast lane. And you're like, God, when is this going to happen? And God's God's promise. You things and God's given you a vision and God's given you a dream and God's given you a promise. But it seems like everybody around you is moving, but you're just kind of moving along one inch at a time. And sometimes it's like, God, can I can I switch lanes?" [00:10:02] (45 seconds)
"Some of us spend our life. Chasing. Convenience. In our relationships. In our habits. In our faith. And we're frustrated that it isn't working. And sometimes the frustration and darkness isn't tied to our circumstances, but it's tied to our impatience and our lack of trust in God's plan." [00:11:11] (35 seconds)
"And convenience isn't always bad. Thank God for instant oatmeal and for instapots. Anybody enjoying instapots? My wife got one. It's miraculous. It's changed our family and speeds up the process of cooking that meat. But we serve not an instant pot God, but we serve a crock pot God." [00:12:09] (26 seconds)
"And so sometimes he leads us into the wilderness. Not, not to punish us, but to prepare us. We see it as punishment. God's saying it's not punishment. It's preparation because the wilderness is always a place of testing. It's always a place of, of growth. He says, I need you to learn, to trust me completely because what I have prepared for you, what I have called you into, I need you to be ready for it because it's going to require total dependence and trust and the Philistines. We mentioned the Philistines in verse 18." [00:13:07] (44 seconds)
"And God knew that he had just miraculously rescued his people and they still needed to grow in their faith. See, it's, it's easy to look back in retrospect. We can look back at their story now and realize why God did what he did and what God was doing. And the. Preparation that, that God was doing. But when you're in the middle of it, it's difficult to see, but, but God knew if they faced a battle too soon, if there was an opportunity that presented itself too soon, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt. And they had just broken free 400 years of bondage in Egypt." [00:14:05] (44 seconds)
"The development of our talents, the increase in our treasures, the, the, the wisdom. That God wants to give you. It doesn't come quickly. You've got to prepare yourself. You've got to train. And this, this is what I've come to tell somebody. Stop cursing the roundabouts that are slowing you down and start trusting the one who put it there to save your life." [00:16:48] (37 seconds)
"The pursuit of convenience becomes problematic when it starts dictating our decisions and shaping our values, leading us from the very challenges that prepare us for where God is trying to take us. The path of resistance, the wilderness in our lives, the pauses, the detours are what God has given us to prepare us for what he has prepared for us." [00:19:55] (35 seconds)
"God's path. Often leads to detours and roundabouts. But there's joy if we look for it. In the middle of the roundabout, in the middle of the detour, God says, I'm still going to guide you. How do we know that? Well, Exodus 13, 21 says, The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light. At night, with a pillar of fire, this allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. You know what that means? God does not abandon us in the roundabout." [00:23:21] (53 seconds)
"The freedom that I have for you, the purpose that I have for you is dependent upon your willingness to walk with me and to trust me. And listen, all of us at one time or the other have chosen the shorter route, no judgment. And sometimes I still do. But I just want to tell somebody, don't go back to Egypt in your attitude. Don't go back to Egypt in your value system. Don't go back to Egypt for pleasure." [00:25:30] (32 seconds)
"And we look back and sometimes we realize, thank God He did not give me what I wanted. But He gave me what I needed. Thank you, God, for not answering every prayer that I prayed. Because it's what I thought I wanted. You gave me what I needed. And spiritual journeys, they're not linear. They're zigs and they're zags. And there's pauses. And sometimes things slow way down. And other times they accelerate." [00:28:30] (41 seconds)
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