Ex13:17'...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....18 So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea(NLT).
The wilderness season of life is not a palatable season. It is the time God breaks and make men to become suitable for life and destiny.
Let's consider the journey of the Israelites. When the children of Israel left Egypt to the promised land, God decided not to lead them through a short-cut to the promised land because if they encounter war, they might return to Egypt.
Instead, God led them in a round about way through the wilderness. As a thoughtful reader, you should ask a simple question.
If God could help them deal with Pharoah by showing his mighty acts through the 10 plagues, why can't He( God) use the same power to deal with the enemies they may face on the shortest route to the promised?
After all, He is powerful and He's a man of war, why should He lead them through the wilderness to avoid enemies He can deal with?
Well, the answer is very simple. God needed to lead them through the wilderness because He wanted to process them for the promised land.
These are people who just got their independence from slavery, If they had entered the promised land in three days through the shortest route, they'll carry the Egypt mentality, character and culture into their new domain so God needed to spend a little time to process them.
Egypt is symbolic of the world and her evil system, the wilderness experience represents the dealings of God in our lives, the challenges, the test and trials.
Modern Christianity doesn't teach people about the dealings of God yet it is real. Christ couldn't become our high priest until he had his share of wilderness experience.
Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him ( Heb 5:8-9).
After you left your life of sin and you came to Christ, maybe you were told that once you come to Christ, no more challenges. That's not true about the Christian race.
Evangelism or soul winning activity built on false promises such as this will raise people who will not stand for Christ in the day of trouble.
One way or the other, it is God's grand design that you and I should have the wilderness experience before entering into your 'promised land'.
Christ didn't promise us a life without trial but victory is what He promised: "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world”( Jn 16:33 NLT).
Sometimes, God leads us in a roundabout way of the wilderness instead of passing through short-cuts. Submit yourself to His dealings.
Father, I receive the grace to submit myself for your dealings In Jesus name.