You can ask anyone that knows me well and they will be quick to tell you that I have no patience. I was traveling with a good friend of mine to the Ramp in Hamilton, Al. a while back, and he makes the statement about half way there, “Pastor I’m going to pray for you some patience”, this as I swerved in and out of traffic, all the while expressing my frustration with other peoples inability to drive. Slower traffic please keep right! It’s like everywhere I go it’s a race to get there. Life seems to be moving fast and I’m trying to keep up- well so it seems.

I guess my driving is a testimony to me, that what I feel in control over I push the pace. There is a lot to be accomplished and time is of the essence. After all, we only have so much time and then it’s all over.

In my Christian walk however, I’ve learned that there are no short cuts, only speed limit signs that are automatically obeyed, because the vehicle I’m in is not under my control. A road that is filled with road construction, curves, detours, you name it. I wish sometimes God would just break the law and kick my journey into high speed, so I can get there quickly.

Fortunately, yes fortunately, that is not what is best. When God rescued the children of Israel from Egypt and pointed them to the promise land, He did not lead them the quickest way. Ex 13:18 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. That’s right; not only did God send them on a longer journey but He also led them into a place that was inescapable without His help. I say this often- “God will never place your life in a place that it does not take faith to live there.”

Often times how God works makes absolutely no sense to us. The reason He led them in this direction was revealed in the previous verse, Ex 13:17 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: While there was a shorter way to get to the promise land, it was filled with confrontation that they were not yet equipped to deal with.

Most of us get so focused on the destination and getting from point A to point B, and fail to recognize it’s the journey that God is being intentional with. The experience of living day to day is what both qualify and equips us for the destination.

What was literally a few miles turned into forty years but forty years wasn’t wasting time, it was learning to trust in the Lord. Listen to Moses reveal the value of the journey to the children of Israel- Deut 8:7-18 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; 8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; 9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. 10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; 16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; 17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

God doesn’t always lead us down the quickest road; sometimes it’s the long road that has the most value. So today we thank God, while we may not yet understand the “why’s” we understand the purpose.

So sit back, relax and enjoy the journey even if it takes you a little longer to get there. It will be worth it when you arrive and you’ll value the destination when you measure it against the journey.

Anthony Daley