When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter….(Ex 13:17).
Last night my husband and I were talking about things we had been disappointed by this past year in our lives. Both of us expressed disappointment in getting passed up for opportunities that came our way. At the time, all the right cards were in place, but then, someone else was chosen or something else happened. Quite frankly it didn’t make sense and it caused us both to question what God was doing. Looking back though, we can see how God had something better. We just couldn’t see it at the time.
Has that ever happened to you? You get passed up for the job you’re more than qualified for, overlooked for the opportunity you’ve been preparing for so many years or you thought that God was calling you into something only to find that doors just kept getting shut? Yeah, I’ve been there. That was kind of the story of my life for about a solid year. It was terribly frustrating as one door after another kept getting shut and I wondered what in the world God was up to.
As the Israelites left Egypt God did not take them the shorter way but instructed them to walk along the desert road around by the Red Sea. Was this a longer route? Absolutely, but God was protecting them from something that maybe at the time, they didn’t fully understand. You see, for me, that’s what God was doing. Every no was really just His protection as He kept leading me on that long road towards His very best.
Don’t get discouraged if the cards just aren’t falling in your favor. Trust that God is up to something and believe that it’s for your good. Be willing to walk with Him on the longer route and let go of your need to have things in your way and in your time. Trust me, I know how hard that is, but truly, He is the giver of every good gift and His timing is far better than our own.
Lord, that year you took me through was so hard. In fact, I didn’t really like that at all. It was painful and challenging. But, ultimately, I see now just how much you were protecting me. Thank you for protecting me from stepping into something that wasn’t your best. Now I think I finally understand what it means to trust you. Thank you for providing for me, in Jesus name, Amen.
Heather Quiroz 