Divine Delays

There is an amazing little phrase in the story about the release of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. It is easy to miss if you aren't watching for it. It's found in Exodus 13:17 (NLT): “When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land.” Why? Why not get them there as quickly as possible?  “God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”

Quite often, when we pray for God's deliverance, or when we have a God-given dream, we want it to occur immediately. The people of Israel certainly wanted to arrive in the Promised Land. But God did not take them on the quickest route because He knew that, even though they had left Egypt, they still had Egypt in them. When faced with hardships in the Promised Land (and even though it is the Promised Land, it will have hardships), they would be tempted to return to Egypt.

Here's the principle: God cares more about who we become in the process of pursuing a God-given dream, than the dream itself. We're all about the dream. God is all about us.