I dread detour signs and road construction areas! When I see one, I know our trip won’t go as planned. It may take far, far longer to get where we are going than we had hoped.
Think about some unexpected detours God’s people took. Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus detoured to Egypt on their way home from Bethlehem to Nazareth. Paul took lots of detours on his missionary trips. Can you think of other examples from the Bible of people whose lives took unexpected detours? Can you think of times when your own life took an unexpected detour? Maybe you lost a friend, failed a test, lost a job, or got sick?
Things don’t always go as we plan. But we know that in all things God is at work in the lives of those who love him, at work for our good (Romans 8:28). What a comfort to know that our Lord can use his Word in even the most difficult situations to grow our faith and strengthen our relationship with him and one another! He leads us safely through all those “faith-under-construction” times of our lives.
Thankfully, Jesus also took a detour. From his home in heaven he came to earth, to a cross on Calvary, to the garden tomb. But Jesus arose from death three short days later and ascended to heaven where—right now!—he is preparing an eternal home for each of us. Now because Jesus lives, we too can live—forgiven and eternally—as we trust in him with our lives!
Whether you’re on vacation today or not, take a detour to Jesus’ cross. Stop there to confess your sins to him. Receive his forgiveness, rest in his love, and rejoice in his promise to travel with you everywhere you go, working in all the circumstances of your life—even in those detours—for your good!
Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for coming to earth to die and rise for me! And thank you for working everything out for my good and your glory. Amen.
Tim Wesemann writes extensively for CTA. You can find some of his work here. He’s also a popular speaker nationwide. For more information, contact Tim at www.foolishwords.com.
