Don't be in a hurry.

Patience is one of those areas in which most of us are, to say it nicely, under construction. We don't like to wait. Our lives are busy, they’re full, and we hate delays. Many times the delay is actually part of the plan to protect us from something that could hurt us if we stayed "on schedule"; on our schedule, that is. You can see God's protective delays at work when the Jews were miraculously delivered from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt, and they're ready to be on the interstate to the Promised Land.

Here's what happened and why. "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, 'If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.' So God led the people around the desert road toward the Red Sea." So, God purposely slows down his people, and then that longer road leads to what appears to be a disaster. They’re trapped at the Red Sea with the Egyptian Army bearing down on them.

Now it may be that God is taking you the longer, slower way right now. You were, like those people on the interstate that was suddenly closed, speeding full speed ahead. Suddenly, all you can see is an ocean of red brake lights in front of you. You're waiting, and you don't know why. It's because God knows what's up ahead and you don't. And He's protecting you from a battle up there that you're not ready to fight, from danger that might hurt you, from a temptation or a test for which you’re just not yet strong enough. Remember, He's promised not to let you face more than He knows you can bear. Maybe you have prayed these words many times, “Lord, 'Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” And the reason you're waiting or taking what seems to be a detour is because your Father, who art in heaven, is answering that prayer! And if the delay and the detour bring you to a Red Sea, not to worry! He's leading you, not into a mess, but into a miracle you'll never forget! So learn to relax when God closes the road or suddenly slows you down. It's all about His love for you, a love that knows what's best for you, a love that knows what's going to happen if you keep going the same direction at the same speed.

So don't sit there, pounding the steering wheel and fuming. You aren't late. In fact, you're right on time - God's time. And this isn't Plan B. This is what God's Plan A has been all the time. So trust the One who plans the trip and who protects those who belong to Him. If you could see what's up ahead, you'd be so grateful that God has made you wait.