Detours are distractions from the original route that we had planned to take.
Detours to Destiny
- Unexpected
- Inconvenient
- Frustrating
- Purposeless
As believers followers of Christ, we have a destiny, a plan, and a purpose for our existence. Destiny is a God-designed imprint on our lives.
Today’s goal:
Provide understanding that God often takes us on detours from the path toward our destiny for purpose of maturity and growth.
Observation:
Rarely, if ever, does the destiny of our lives be accomplished apart from detours. Therefore, part of understanding our destiny is understanding our detours.
God uses detours as a part of His design for our lives.
Moses and Israel – 40 years (Numbers 12)
Abraham – 25 years (Genesis 12)
Paul – 3 years (Gal. 1)
Joseph – 13 years (Genesis 13)
Personal Recap:
God has a purpose for _________________, a destiny to be fulfilled, a place for _______________ to be. AND there is no better place for ________________ than His place destined to __________________.
But, you won’t get there in a straight path!
Bible’s Hallmark of Detours to Destiny:
Gen.50:19-21 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? (20)”And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
(21)”So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 37:1-2a Now Jacob lived in a land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. (2)These are the records of the generations of Jacob.
Gen. 37:2b Joseph when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.
Gen. 37:3-4 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a varicolored tunic. (4)And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.
Gen.37:5-10 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. (6)And he said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had; (7)for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
(8)Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us?” Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. (9)Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and elven stars were bowing down to me.”
(10)And he related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?”
God takes us on detours to develop and shape us for destiny.
As we experience detours, sometimes things will get worse before they get better.
The most critical detours we will face are those when we did nothing wrong.
Key:
It’s not where we are in our detour, but it’s who is with us while we are there.