3 Reasons to Trust God on the Road Less-Traveled
Thinking about Exodus 13:17-22.
The Lord had sent the 10 plagues on Egypt and brought the children of Israel out of their captivity.
But as they left Egypt, which route would they take? Would they take the more traveled, more direct highway to Canaan (the red route below)? Or the long way that led into the wilderness (the blue line below)?
God chose the less-traveled road for His people – and we are told why He did it.
As those who also follow God, we will notice three important lessons about God as we follow Him. These three lessons will encourage us to continue trusting and following Him, rather than changing our minds about following after Him.
Trust God to Know the Future (Exodus 13:17-18).
God did not lead the children of Israel down the closest, and most convenient road because He knew they would see war with the Philistines and return to Egypt.
Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, "Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." (Exodus 13:17)
We are reminded that God leads His people in a way that is, ultimately, for their own good (Psalm 23:3; Romans 8:28). Though we face difficulties and challenges, God uses the difficult times to “refine” us and help us grow into who we need to be (1 Peter 1:6-7; James 1:2-3; Hebrews 12:10-11).
But God is also able to protect us from things we aren’t ready to face. While the children of Israel would eventually see war, and have to fight many battles (See the book of Joshua), God knew they were not ready for war at this point. So, He protected them from something they were not ready to face.
The wilderness would refine His people until they were ready to trust Him and follow Him into battle.
God led them down a less-traveled road through the wilderness. Even though the children of Israel thought they were prepared for war – God knew they weren’t.
But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. (Exodus 13:18 - ESV)
Through His word, He shows us where we are and where we need to go (Psalm 119:105). He knows us better than we know ourselves (Luke 12:7). He knows the end from the beginning, and “from ancient times things that are not yet done” (Isaiah 46:10).
God won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear, and with the temptations and tests we do face, He provides the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13) – He is the way (John 14:6).
Trust God to Keep His Promises (Exodus 13:19).
When they left Egypt, they took the bones of Joseph with them. This served as a reminder that God keeps His promises and that they should trust Him – no matter what happened.
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you." (Exodus 13:19)
Joseph's bones were eventually buried at Shechem (Joshua 24:32), the plot of land that Jacob purchased hundreds of years earlier (Genesis 33:18-20). So many things happened – some good, some bad – between the time when Joseph died and when his bones were finally buried in Canaan.
Many of those who served the Lord faithfully in the Old Testament - like Joseph - never saw the final fulfillment of God’s promises with their own eyes, yet they trusted Him to keep His promises (Hebrews 11:13-16, 32-40). They stand as an example of faith to us (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Our hope of eternal life is firmly rooted in God, and the fact that He “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2).
The trials and tests we face here ought not to shake our trust in the promises of God (1 Peter 1:3-6) because nothing that happens to us here can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35-39).
Trust God to Never Leave You (Exodus 13:20-22).
As God took them along the less-traveled wilderness road, He went with them, leading them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He never failed them or abandoned them through each day and night.
So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. (Exodus 13:20-22)
Later, as Joshua “took over” leading the children of Israel, the Lord came to him and encouraged him to “be strong and courageous,” knowing that the Lord would go with him (Joshua 1:1-9).
As Jesus gave His disciples “marching orders” before He ascended back into heaven, He reminded them that He was always with them (Matthew 28:18-20).
When everyone abandoned the apostle Paul, he knew he wasn’t alone – he knew the Lord stood with him (2 Timothy 4:16-18).
Even if we lose everything in this world, we aren’t alone - because God will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Even though God did all of this for the children of Israel (1 Corinthians 10:1-4), many of them chose to follow sin rather than Him (1 Corinthians 10:5-12).
We still must choose to follow Him and turn away from sin. We can and should trust God to know the future, to keep His promises, and to never leave us – but will we trust Him and follow Him?
Will we follow Him down the road less-traveled or will we insist on traveling our own way?
