The Long Way Around: Why God Doesn’t Take You the Easy Route
When Pharaoh finally let Israel go, God had a straight road available — a few days’ walk up the Mediterranean coast to Canaan. He didn’t take it. Exodus 13:17 says God led the people the long way around, into the wilderness, specifically because the short route would have put them face to face with war before they were ready for it.
That single decision says something worth sitting with: God is far more interested in what He can accomplish in us than what He can accomplish through us. He could have gotten Israel to Canaan in weeks. Instead He spent forty years shaping a nation of ex-slaves into a people who could actually hold the land once they arrived.
If you’ve ever wondered why a prayer took years instead of days to answer, or why God let a hard season run longer than it seemed like it needed to, this chapter is worth your time. The wilderness wasn’t a detour from God’s plan — it was the plan.
Read the full study in Case File 01: Moses — Chapter 7, “The Long Way Around.”
Continue the series: Better or Bitter: The Choice Every Leader Faces
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