Taking the Unexpected Route

Often times when I decide to go to God for some guidance, I have a preconceived idea about what He is going to say or what I subconsciously am hoping He'll say. Anyone out there on the same page? It's not that I want to want my own way - otherwise I wouldn't be seeking God's advice in the first place. It's just that I'm human. But, the key to all relationships, including that with our Heavenly Father, is communication. The key to knowing, seeking out, and discerning what God may or may not want me to do is talking with Him just like I would with my husband or best friend.

In Exodus 13-14, the Israelites are being led by Moses (through God's direction) out of Egypt. But, we're informed of an interesting point:

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. God said, "If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.    Exodus 13:17-18 NLT

God didn't lead the Israelites along the shortest path or, in my application for modern terms, the path that looked the easiest and made the most sense. Why does God do this? Well, who knows. For many reasons. But, He did give us at least one. God explained that if the Israelites were faced with a battle, they may turn around. Because of fear, they may have turned around and chosen slavery over freedom when God had already promised to deliver them. Since God knows us intricately though and because He is gracious, He took them on a different route. It wasn't necessarily the expected route, the easier route, or route that made the most sense humanly, but God knew what would be best for the Israelites. God's plan for us doesn't always make sense to other people (or to us for that matter), and it may not be the shortest route to get from point A to point B. But, we can trust God to know what's best and to know what we need better than we do. 

There is also another reason why God may do this. In chapter 14 verse 3, the Lord tells Moses that by taking this route instead of the logical and shorter route, Pharaoh will be confused. 

Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses: ... Then Pharaoh will think, "The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!"      Exodus 14:1,3

By taking the unexpected route, God gives the Israelites the advantage of confusing their enemy. 

For the next 10 or so verses (14:5-12) Pharaoh and his army decide to chase after the Israelites. They even began to overtake them as we see from verse 10. The Israelites begin to question Moses and his ability/plan, to which Moses replies,

Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.     Exodus 14:13-14

My favorite part is God's response (especially in this particular translation): 

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!"     Exodus 14:15

What I love about this response is that it demonstrates a balance between doing the unexpected when God says as well as doing what seems logical. The Egyptians were overtaking the Israelites, Moses in his humility was reassuring the Israelites that God would rescue them, and God just says, "Get moving!" To me, this passage just reinforces the fact that we need to always be listening for God's guidance. He may say, "Be still. I'll take care of this." Or, He may say, "Do something!" Either way, it's vital that we rely on and communicate with our Daddy who knows the best route for every circumstance, whether logical or unexpected.