Hearing His Voice #221

Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore.

Exodus 14:1-2

The Israelites fleeing from Egypt were following the cloud and the fire of God closely. They had not deviated from His path. And where did it get them? They were led to an extremely vulnerable position at the edge of the Red Sea. There was no way to move ahead because of the sea, and no way to retreat because of Pharaoh’s pursuing army. God led them directly into a seemingly unsolvable predicament.

That sounds just like Him, doesn’t it? He may sometimes make us “lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2, NKJV), but He rarely leads us on smooth paths when He’s taking us somewhere. The way can be treacherous. If we followed our own logic, we would always make the seemingly wise decision to ensure our safety. But when we’re following God, we find ourselves walking in what appear to be unreasonable directions. God doesn’t always lead us away from visible dangers, though He promises to keep us safe. He doesn’t always lead us on a straight path, though He promises to get us where He wants us to be, no matter how many zigzags we take. From our limited perspective, God’s paths often have no rhyme or reason—until we look back on them, when we see how they made perfect sense. Just as the Israelites eventually celebrated their deliverance from an impossible situation, so will we. But we have to be led into impossible situations for a miraculous deliverance to happen.

Don’t make the mistake of many who assume that unreasonable guidance isn’t from God. Apparent absurdity may very well be a mark of His leading. Not all unlikely paths are from Him, but much of His direction will certainly seem unlikely. The God whose ways are far above ours enjoys being unconventional. He thinks “outside the box” because boxes can’t contain Him. Surprising directions are His specialty.

Lord, I’m listening for Your voice, and I’m not ruling out anything unless it contradicts Your character. No twist in the journey is beyond Your nature. Lead me into—and out of—any predicament You choose.