Divine Detours

In 2oo3, around the time my daughter was diagnosed with Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, I was diligently pursuing God.  One of a parent's worst nightmares had become my reality, something was terribly wrong with my child and there was no clear cut treatment or prognosis.  After persistently seeking, the Lord spoke something to my heart that He would later confirm word-for-word through my oldest sister ... "It's going to be okay.  I'm going to use Hannah to touch people's lives."  You can't begin to imagine the relief I experienced as those words infused me with a deep peace.  I knew I had heard from God.  However as time went on and months turned into years, I became angry even doubting what I knew I'd heard.  My patience was running thin, and I wanted everything to be okay NOW!  I was so caught up in the pain of everything I was missing out on experiencing with my only daughter that I no longer cared what God wanted anymore.  Hind sight being 20/20 I realize something now that I didn't know then ... 

***When God speaks a promise to your heart you better buckle up your seat belt and hang on tight.  The reason God speaks promises to people is because He knows how difficult the journey ahead will be, and He knows you are going to need those words to get you through!

Of course God also speaks to us through His word.  Maybe you have received a verbal or written promise from God, something that not only helped and encouraged you but spoke to you on such a level you knew it was for you.  But maybe your circumstances don't seem to be getting any better.  In fact, maybe your circumstances have gotten worse.  If so, today's blog is for you.

One of my favorite people in the Bible is Joseph.  He was one of the 12 sons of Jacob, the grandson of Isaac, and the great-grandson of Abraham.  From a young age Joseph new he was special.  For starters he was his father's favorite son, because he was Jacob's first son from the wife he loved most, Rachel and was conceived in their old age (Gen. 35:24, 37:3).  At the age of 17, God not only gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams, He gave Joseph prophetic dreams concerning his own future.  Genesis 37: 5&9 give account of these dreams that basically involved his father and brothers bowing down before him.  ***BUCKLE UP YOUR SEAT BELT JOSEPH!!!

Needless to say Joseph's brothers didn't like him very much and conspired to get rid of him which resulted in Joseph being sold into slavery and shipped off to Egypt.  There he was a faithful and hardworking servant to Potipher, but when Joseph rejected Potipher's wife's advances he found himself falsely accused of assault and thrown in jail!  Joseph's situation has shifted from bad to worse.  No one's bowing down to a slave let alone a prisoner!  You think Joseph was tempted to get mad at God or second guess his dreams?  I think so.  Despite all this, he continued to do his best at every task appointed to him, and God was with him and gave him favor (Gen. 39:3&21).  Due to Joseph's correct interpretation of the butler and baker's dreams, Joseph was brought before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams and then assigned the task of preparing for a terrible famine.  The Bible tells us in Genesis 41:39-41&46 that Joseph spent 13 years in slavery and prison in the land of Egypt before obtaining the status of "Pharaoh's Right Hand Man."  In the end, Joseph's family was reunited and brought to Egypt to ride out the famine.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is another Biblical figure whom God gave a promise.  In Luke 1:27-38 we read of the angel appearing to Mary.  "Hail, O favored one!  The Lord is with you!  Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women!"  He proceeds to tell her how she will give birth to Jesus and "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end."  Later in that same chapter Mary receives confirmation of this from her relative Elizabeth (vs. 42).  ***BUCKLE UP YOUR SEAT BELT MARY!!!

While finishing watching "The Nativity" with my family this past Christmas, I was struck by something.  The movie ends with Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus leaving Israel for Egypt as instructed by an angel that appeared in Joseph's dreams warning them about King Herod's search for the child in order to kill him (Matt. 2:13&14).  Bible scholars estimate Mary to have been about 15 years old.  Can you imagine?  Can you put yourself in her shoes for even a moment?  Here this young woman is far away from her family, and she's just given birth to her baby.  Don't you think she was excited to get back home?  For her mom & dad to hold their grandchild?  To share in the joy that comes when a new member of a family is born?  Instead she is being called away to a foreign land and has no idea when or if she will return home.  Do you think it possible that doubts crossed Mary's mind as to how blessed she was while fleeing to Egypt?  I do.  If not then, it certainly had to pull at her thoughts while standing at the cross in which her son was dying on.  And even though I think it possible Mary knew these things were to happen, it doesn't change the human nature of a mother.  The words that angel spoke to her over 33 years ago had to have rung through her head and tore at her heart.

God spoke awesome promises to each of these figures and yet both of them experienced detours.  These detours where not only complete and total deviations from the plans, hopes, and dreams they had for their own lives, they seemed to be in complete opposition to the very promises God had given them!  However, unlike our own lives, we have the advantage of seeing the results of these detours.   The purpose of Joseph's detour was to fulfill the promise God had given his great-grandfather, Abraham.  In Genesis 15:5 and 17:5 God promises Abraham that his descendants will number the stars and that God has made him the father of many nations.  The 12 sons of Jacob would become the 12 tribes of Israel.  Likewise, the purpose of Mary's detour was for God to fulfill his promise of decades of prophecy about the one who would bring salvation to the world.  Yes, although Joseph was forced out and Mary was led out, they were both called to Egypt, both led on a DIVINE detour.  One to ensure the protection of a nation, the other to ensure the salvation of all mankind.

These examples show us that detours are designed to develop us and lead us to our destiny.  Does God have you on a detour?  Is it a divine detour?  It can be.  You want to know how?  By trusting God with it.  By saying, "God I'm not sure why I'm in this situation, but I know You know.  I give this situation to you trusting that you work all things for good for those that love You and are called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28)."  Trust that God will do whatever work needs to be done in you in this season, and when the time is right He will call you out of your Egypt.

One last thing, don't think that because your lemon has you on a detour that you can't share lemonade in the meantime.  Many times Christians think that because they are in the midst of trials they don't have a testimony to share yet.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  If you are a Christian your life should always testify of His grace and reflect His glory.  And no where is that better displayed than in the life of one who's been handed a lemon and, because of their firm trust in the Lord, is choosing to make lemonade.