Detours

Detours are severely inconvenient. Especially when you're in a hurry and ready to be where you're going and then BOOM...there's a detour sign pointing you another way, which undoubtedly will cost you several minutes. And, if you're anything like me, you're slightly grumpy the entire way through the detour until you reach your destination.

The thing about a detour, however, is that they always steer you away from an imminent danger ahead. Whether that danger is because of road crews fixing a road/bridge, or a storm knocked over a tree, or a power line fell...the detour is for your own good, whether you realize it at that moment or not. And to be honest, the DOT doesn't much care if you like the detour or not. Their job isn't to please you, their job is to protect you.

Moses and the Israelites were handed a detour that ultimately saved their lives. Check this out:
"Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, 'The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.' Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea..." (Egypt 13:17-18,NASB)

After their release from Egypt, God began leading the Israelites and Moses to their promised land of "milk and honey" and so much more. Apparently as they started on their way there was a way to get there that was quicker...but it required going through the battle grounds of the Philistines. Because the Israelites were healing, they were still hurting, they were afraid God was looking out for their well being so He led them to a detour. He took them around the Red Sea in order to keep them from being discouraged and frustrated by seeing the fighting and turmoil found in the land of the Philistines. It wasn't God's concern at this point to please the Israelites, it was His concern to protect them! He would rather them have learned to trust on Him in the difficult times (no water, no food, no shelter, they thought they would die) than to risk them getting hurt by seeing what was going on in the world.

Let me submit something to you... what if walking through this life and this wilderness isn't about getting to the good times, but learning to grow in the wilderness moments? What if the promised lands we endure are rewards for the way we trust and depend on Him in the wilderness? What if when we face a wilderness it isn't a bad thing that we should ignore, rather a good thing that we should praise. What if the detour that you didn't see coming in your life, that you're walking down right now, isn't to please you but to protect you from something.

Let me assure you of this...there is nothing you will face in your detour that will catch God off guard! When the Israelites could find no water...God knew a rock was nearby that water was in. When they didn't have food, God knew that manna wasn't far behind. When they needed light/heat at night, He provided a pillar of fire to lead the way. When they needed cover from the blistering sun during the day God provided a cloud overhead. My point? The detour you're facing right now is NOT your promised land...it is your wilderness that is preparing you to inhabit the good things!

Don't despise the detours! Embrace the detours! Understand that sometimes God protecting will come at the expense of God pleasing you. At times they aren't hand in hand...so don't complain, learn!

Enjoy the journey!

Made Ya Look

"What's that over there?" *you turn your head to look* "Made ya look!" *laughter ensues.

The previous is a scenario that plays out in schools all over. Or it did when I was growing up. For some odd reason we thought it was hysterical when we would make people look for something that wasn't there to begin with. The hilarity that would ensue after the person would look was incredible! Why did we do it? I don't know, maybe it was the feeling of tricking someone, or the immaturity of our sense of of humor.

I saw the same scenario play out in the book of Exodus today. Apparently God thought it was pretty awesome to do make Moses look, only to this time it was to get his attention to something else, not just to look for something that wasn't really there.

"...the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, 'I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.' When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said 'Moses, Mose!'" (Exodus 3:2-4, NASB, emphasis added)

God wanted Moses' attention. He needed Moses to lean in close and pay attention to the instruction and the direction He was about to provide to him. If Moses is anything like me, a little hyperactive, a squirrel would divert his focus until a leaf started blowing around followed by a worm crawling and then he (I) would be thinking about what flavor ICEE I want when I go to the gas station later...SQUIRREL! But this time God couldn't have Moses thinking about anything other than what He was saying. What God was about to tell Moses would direct the rest of His life!

So, he got Moses' attention...in a very dramatic way. He burned up a bush without burning up a bush! Moses HAD to figure that out! Moses was a fixer...I mean think about it. In chapter 2 he saw an Egyptian (how he was raised) battling a Hebrew (how he was born) and he killed the Egyptian...to fix the situation. Since he was a fixer he had to figure out how in the world this bush was on fire but not burning up! God knew JUST how to get his attention...and get his attention He did!

I correlate this to the church a lot of times. Sometimes we, as followers/lovers of Jesus need to do whatever we have to do to get someone's attention. Not just get them to glance and see our logo, but to FOCUS on us. Why? Because afterall, the information we need to give them about Jesus will direct the rest of their lives! It's literally an instruction of LIFE and DEATH! We, as followers, have walked the path calmly, quietly, unexpectedly with our heads down staring at the dirt road, hoping those that walk past us each and every day on this path of life, will lift their heads and ask us where we are going. TO JESUS! We would scream...TO HEAVEN! No... it's time we begin walking this path with our heads held high, our loudest praise of Jesus on our lips, and the grandest examples of His love in our actions! We must begin to do things that will cause them to "...turn aside and look..."! And when they look...BOOM! We've got their attention...and you'd better make it count!

At our church, we say all the time (which is not original with us) we will do ANYTHING short of sin to reach anyone! Not everyone likes that, appreciates that, or enjoys that...and I personally don't care! My job isn't to get the attention of the one's that are already looking! My job is to help the bushes (His followers) to get on fire but not burn up, so that others may look to figure it out and we can tell them what this Jesus guy is all about! There's an awful bunch of Hebrews out there that are in slavery to some Egyptians, and they need some bushes to tell them how to get out!

The real question in this whole thing is this... Who are YOU making look?