What was God Thinking?

Sometimes God may lead you through a longer and seemingly impossible route, while there is a much shorter easier route available. Yes, you know that there is an easier path and God does not allow you to go that way.

Let’s go to the Bible and look at the instance where Moses leads the Israelite out from slavery in Egypt into freedom.

Exodus 13:17,18

¹⁷ 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.” ¹⁸ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.^[a] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

God leads them to a longer path by the desert and directly into the shores of red sea. There were no ships or other means to cross the sea. While there was a “shorter” path through the Palestine country. But God wanted to fight some bigger battles for them and did not want them to be discouraged so that they go back to Egypt.

And God shows to them one more time that “The Battle is the Lords’, he will be fighting the battle for them. He parts the red sea and after they pass through, their oppressor the Egyptians who were pursuing after them to recapture them are drowned in the sea as the sea closes back.

Even in your lives there would have been instances where you clearly knew that there is a shorter way, and you could get there sooner. But God had taken you through a longer seemingly tougher road. And at times you felt that you have reached the end of the road like how Israelite felt when they were standing at the shores of red sea. But be encouraged God is fighting some bigger battles for you, he will never leave you or forsake you. And there a bigger plan that you may not be seeing now.

God wanted to remove any reasons of doubt from the minds of Israelite, and establish firmly that it was “only” the miraculous hands of God that delivered them.

If you are going through a tough time now you a reason to be delighted, because God loves you and cares for you.

The battle is not yours…