Destiny > Detour

I shifted against the neutral fabric of a comfortable straight back chair, allowing words from the Sunday pulpit to settle inside my heart. The message was simple, but for some reason it caught me off guard on that ordinary, winter afternoon.

“God doesn’t miss the mark.”

One short sentence grabbed my attention, stopping front and center, before slowly carving space for the follow up statement.

“When He sets a plan in motion, it will come to fruition.”

I believe this. Really, I do.

Yet even while nodding a silent Amen, tiny questions crop up, along with thoughts of how God’s plan often looks from a natural, earthly point of view.

Simply put?

Through the lens of human perspective, it can appear off target.

If you’re anything like me, when storms linger, battles rage, and the last few threads of sanity start wearing thin, frail places of the heart begin to falter.

In the bright, promising light of day, we point our compass north, but when life still goes south, questions once again surface, asking for answers we can’t provide.

Since that recent afternoon at church, I find myself considering what it means to believe God’s navigation is right on point, even when life speaks otherwise.

Unexpected detours carry the potential to rock well laid plans.

Maybe you’ve noticed?

But here’s the thing. What if those same sharp curves and unknown paths are the very course that shapes our Destiny?

What if they are actually God’s chosen route?

Several Bible heroes comes to mind, and in particular, I think of Joseph  (Genesis 37-47),  Daniel  (Daniel 6),  and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego  (Daniel 3).

I won’t cover all the details in this post, but I wonder –  If each man were here today, would they reflect on the darkness of unplanned detours, or would they talk about how God used the circumstances to demonstrate His glorious power, and form the beauty of their future?

Take a moment to consider the story of Joseph.

The painful journey forever changed life as he knew it, charting a long, hard road of rejection and betrayal. But in the end, his steps were orchestrated for good, bringing about a bigger plan than he ever could have imagined.

For Daniel, the detour was different, involving crafty politicians, and taking an ugly twist through a den of hungry lions. Through it all, though, God preserved life and hope for a higher purpose, and great testimony far beyond his generation.

Next up is Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who were brought before a proud king, then tossed into a fiery furnace for following their convictions.

But just when it seems life is over, a fourth man shows up –  like unto the Son of God, and the record of supernatural deliverance is now etched onto sacred pages, reminding us that A Higher Power dwells within, even through the hottest fire.

And you know what I find so beautiful about each of these accounts?

None of them knew the end of their story. They just continued moving forward, believing no matter the outcome, the Keeper of their souls would provide a Destiny far greater than the detours.

And this, my friend, is where we find ourselves circling back.

I’ve now traded my upholstered church chair for pale blue bedroom walls and the soft hum of a silver laptop, but I still hear the message that stirred these ponderings many weeks ago.

“God doesn’t miss the mark.”

Through harrowing twists and turns of life, I’m thankful for words like this, that remind us things aren’t always as they appear on the surface.

Great testimony comes through great testing.

Sometimes, God allows circumstances we didn’t expect, but the Author and Finisher of our faith is always behind the scenes, molding and making, forming and shaping.

His panoramic view spans geography and generations.

And in our lives today, maybe there are times when perceived detours are actually the divine path to a beautiful Destiny?

He alone knows. But it’s up to us to trust the process.