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
NO SHORT-CUT...PROCESS MATTERS
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. You should ask a simple question if you're thoughtful. 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 enter 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. 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 our Christian race. One way or the other, it is God's grand design that you and I should have the wilderness experience before entering into our promised land. Christ didn't promise us a life without trial but victory is what He promised, John16:33. 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.