*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*
*ONLY THE WAY KNOWS THE WAY (2).*
*Scripture Treasure.*
Exodus 13:17-18 *And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.*
*But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.*
*Insight and Highlight.*
God may decide to take you through a route that is farther in order to test you.
*Scripture Commentaries.*
God took the Israelites on a journey.
A departure to Canaan that would ordinarily have taken eleven days took them 40 years!, Deut 1:2, Numb 14:33, Josh 5:6.
Deut 14: 34 translates that God intended 40 days for them to be in the wilderness. They were even led through the Red Sea.
God explained why He did not take them through a nearer route to Canaan. God said He did so so that the Israelites would not return to Egypt.
God was right in His judgment.
What the Israelites did along the journey vindicated God's considered decision.
Two scriptures, among many others, can be cited to illustrate this.
First, in Exd 14:11, they scornfully asked if there were no graves in Egypt that God wanted them to die in the wilderness. They blamed God for bringing them out of Egypt.
In Numb 11:4-6, they despised the manna, preferring it to *....the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:...'*
These two verses, among other verses, that record the Israelites' contemptuous comments to God tell us why God may choose to delay our request in order to test us.
We can deduce some life's lesson from these.
First, the Israelites' bad attitudes in the wilderness point to how ungrateful humans can be to God's gratefulness.
As we can see that when one reads that God took them through a farther route, one would question why God would do this?
One must be saying, after reading these bad behaviors, that God was right and that God is justified when He delays. God is justified when He chooses to test us with troubles and challenges.
We experience delay, or we make God delay answers because of our records of unfaithfulness to Him.
God is fair, and just. This is because He knows our hearts, John 2:24, yet He does His part.
Despite knowing what the Israelites could do, He did His part to sustain them in these periods of trial.
God will always do His part, but we fail to do our part even after many promises.
Psalm 136:16 tells us that God led them through the wilderness, a longer route out of His mercy, not out of wickedness or an intention to delay as many of us would think.
The psalmist says, "He led His people through the wilderness. His loving devotion endures forever.*
Though God has His time of answering our prayers and not everyone who experiences delay experience such because of any fault of theirs, it is also important that we search ourselves when there is a delay of our requests to God
We must always know that whatever God decides to do, whether to answer us early or late will always be for our good, if only we can be patient with Him.
Remember, Jesus, the Way is the only Way that knows the way! (John 14:6)
*Remorse corner.*
Does your journey in life seem too far?
Does your expectation seem too delayed? Remember, God does not willingly afflict us, Lam 3:33. He will answer. Just prove yourself faithful in your waiting time, Job 23:10.
*Call to Word action.*
Why does God take us through a longer route. He does this for a purpose. God always has His reasons, and they are always good.
*The Christian clarion duty.*
We have lost our integrity as covenant, promise keeping people.
Though God does His part, He will always leave us with no option than to delay or test our sincerity because of how we abandon our promises made to Him.
*Prayer.*
Lord, help me to keep my promises to You. When You show me the way, do not let me resist or depart from it, in Jesus name.
Good morning all, and have a blessed day today.
God bless you.
Comments