“Are You Sure, Moses?”
Driving to a place we’ve never been to before, thankfully we a choice of maps or a GPS to get us to our destination. However, sometimes new roads have been put in that the maps don’t show, while the voice in the dashboard is either saying “Make a U-turn” or “You’ve reached your destination.”
How do you feel when your trip is re-routed or delayed? Frustrated? Irritated? Angry? All three, plus more? Let’s go back a bunch of centuries and join the multitude of Israelites following Moses out of Egypt. When things don’t go as expected, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with emotion and maybe even fear. However, God often uses unexpected circumstances for our protection.
How many times have you been delayed because of a long train, and once across the tracks viewed a serious accident that took place not long before you got there? What about realizing you forgot your phone or some important papers after traveling a couple miles and had the need to return to get them? The point is, do we ever stop to thank God for the inconvenience realizing He has protected us from something we weren’t aware of?
This is what happened to the Israelites when they came out of captivity in Egypt (Exodus 13:17). The shortest route from Egypt to Canaan was along “the way of the Philistines” – a trade route that hugged the southeast shore of the Mediterranean Sea. That road led directly to the land of the Philistines. Through Moses, God directed the people to turn south into the Sinai wilderness to avoid encountering the war-like Philistines and be destroyed or driven back to Egypt.
Though the Sinai wilderness was inhospitable, the change in direction most likely saved their lives. Unexpected events should be used as a way to thank God that EVERY EVENT works together for your good (Romans 8:28). John Blanchard states, “No Christian should feel under the circumstances because the circumstances are under God.”
Pastor Carnes
