Yesterday, we talked about how twists and turns in the course of our life can frustrate us and cause us to feel like we are moving further away from our destiny instead of closer to it. However, because God has gone before us and He is sovereign, we can rest assured that we will ultimately get to where we need to be, and that we will be stronger, wiser, and tougher for having endured the long road!

Speaking of this, it’s interesting how the younger somebody is, the harder it is for them to understand that for every great dream, there’s a great price to pay. You see this a lot in Disney films and in other fairy tales — every story has a villain and every great achievement requires some amount of loss. For every comeback, there are many, many setbacks; this is the path of a true disciple. Jesus spoke often about the idea of receptivity — that as His disciples ministered, some people would accept the word and some would reject it. If they wouldn’t receive it, He taught them to keep moving and not to be discouraged by the “bump in the road.” Later on, some went so far as to chase and try to kill the ones who followed the Lord and taught His way, but they still didn’t give up! Unfortunately, the concept of suffering and setback is almost lost in our society today, because in our culture, everything is high speed and there is an expectation of instant gratification. However, this is just not how God works.

Friend, the things that God creates take time to reach maturity, but that’s because they are designed to last forever! I beg you not to get discouraged when the road is long and the path is dark; nothing is wasted in His plan and no matter how much you feel your destiny is delayed, it is nothing when compared to eternity. The Lord you serve is not an instant-oatmeal, microwave, over-the-counter kind of Savior — He is a God of process and He is not bound by linear time. Because He is the One Who was, is, and is to come, what look like detours are actually gifts that make you more like Him! Isn’t that wonderful news?