Devotionals

Shortcuts

by Jerry Ousley
10/14/22
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SHORTCUTS

Exodus 14:1-4  “Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:  ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.  For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land, the wilderness has closed them in.’ Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.’”

            I like shortcuts.  My wife especially likes my shortcuts (not).  Years ago, when our now grown children were still children, we took a trip to Pigeon Forge Tennessee.  To be more accurate, we had planned a vacation to Myrtle Beach.  However, we got a phone call one night offering us two days and nights in Pigeon Forge.  All we had to do was take a tour of some time-share vacation homes.  We knew there was no way we were going to buy a time share but we couldn’t turn down the free couple of nights.  So, we bit and, long story short, we found ourselves on our first leg of our vacation at Pigeon Forge.  However, the time share tour was in a town called Marysville.  Wanting to get it over with so we could enjoy Pigeon Forge, I looked for one of my trusty shortcuts.  I found it.  There was a road that cut across from Pigeon Forge to Marysville, Tennessee Highway 321.  Instead of having to drive all the way back up to the Interstate then cut back down to Marysville, I chose to use this trusty shortcut.  Think of all the time it would save.

            I should have taken a hint when turning onto 321 in Pigeon Forge, instead of going right or left, we went straight up.  Yep, right up into the mountains.  It was one of the most windy, curvy roads I had ever traveled on.  As the crow flies it was half the distance going by way of the Interstate.  But because of all those twists, turns, and ascents and descents, it was actually twice as long.  I swear to this day that I went around one curve and saw my own tail lights!

            My family was so angry they never spoke a word.  We took our tour and when we went back to the car, my wife silently slid under the steering wheel and we went back by way of the Interstate.  I kept my mouth shut because I knew that if I didn’t, I might not be able to speak again.

The distance from Cairo Egypt to Jerusalem is about 320 miles.  Had the people of Israel taken this more logical route they would have arrived at the Promised Land in about a month.  But God had another plan that included the Israeli people to learn to trust Him.

We always like the shorter way.  We love fast food, instant communication and faster transportation.  We like it done now.  There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s just that when it comes to serving God we can’t rely on shortcuts. God’s plan doesn’t always take the easy route. The way God told Moses to go resulted in them having their backs against the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army quickly approaching from the other direction.  Surely God had made a mistake.

            We all know what happened next – God allowed Israel to cross the Red Sea between two walls of water on dry land, and then closed it up when Pharaoh’s army entered behind them.  The miracle required some faith on the part of Israel – It seemed they were trapped.  But they had to trust God and then God worked a great miracle.

            God’s plan for our lives also requires us to trust Him.  It may seem like you are trapped.  You can’t move forward.  There isn’t enough money to do it.  There isn’t enough time, or enough people.  We could recite Old Testament story after story of how God worked miracles when in those impossible situations, His people finally trusted Him.  He hasn’t changed.  He still does it today.

            His plan is always the best.  God chose to take them the long way around because Israel was not ready for the Promised Land.  They were still thinking like slaves and used to being in bondage.  They were not yet warriors.  It took forty years (because of their disobedience) and a whole new generation except for Caleb and Joshua, to be ready to conquer the land.

God doesn’t use the instant and the quick on us simply because we may not yet be ready.  He wants to answer our prayers and sometimes He does instantly.  But sometimes He knows it is better to wait and sometimes He his answer is “no.”  So, Let’s not take shortcuts when it comes to God.  Some shortcuts in life are okay but when it comes to serving God there can be no successful shortcuts.