EXODUS 13:17-18 – When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.

THEME OF THE DAY. THE LEADING OF GOD. Don’t we wish the Christian life was easy? Be honest. In our flesh, we long to be effective for the Lord without much sacrifice. Inconvenience? Sure, we will do that but self-denying sacrifice that disrupts our schedules and lives? Maybe a different story. And what honest believer would not like a wonderfully developed Fruit of the Spirit life without effort and warfare? We are creatures longing for comfort and ease. This longing also applies in how we want God to work in our lives. We may sincerely pray, “Father, Your will be done. Make me like Your Son, the Lord Jesus” and He will answer it, but it won’t be the way we think, or even desire. It won’t be easy. It wasn’t easy for the Lord Jesus making it possible for us to be Christians and we should not expect it to be different in living the life He calls us to live. God never guides His people the easy way. He didn’t do it in today’s scripture when leading His people of old out of Egypt. He won’t for us either, but we may learn to rejoice in His “hard” ways of dealing with us by focusing on the lessons we will be taught.

First, God knows the easy way of guiding His people never produces spiritual stability and maturity – When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” Yes, leading His people through the land of the Philistines was quicker and nearer, but it would only cause them to be double-minded, fearful, and want to retreat to the old and familiar. Friends, we need hard times to develop us. We need fiery trials to refine us. All easy does in a life is produce a weak heart, fretful mind, and an unstable spiritual walk. And God loves us too much to lead us in a path of ease that never matures His children.

Another lesson we learn about God leading His children is that we will travel through times of wilderness wanderings – But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. And here is where our desire for comfort and ease escalates. No one likes trips into a spiritual wilderness when we feel afraid and all alone. No one seeks those spiritual dark seasons when God feels nowhere around and completely uninterested in us. Yet, wilderness times are necessary times. We learn more about ourselves and the Lord in these seasons than in easy times. And we will learn that God never forsakes us, though we feel like it; we learn that God is wise in His dealings with us, though we question it; and we will learn how to fight spiritual warfare in the wilderness because our reliance and use of His Word becomes more real and necessary. Ponder again, the result of Israel being led the hard way, not easy way, through the wilderness – And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. Wilderness times are equipping for battle times.

God does lead His children. It won’t be the easy way, but it will be the good way. Trust Him. He knows what He is doing in our lives – always.

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I grumble over the difficulties that come into my life.”

QUOTE: “The Lord never said following Him would be easy; simple, yes, easy, no.”