Detours with a Purpose
Do you ever get frustrated with life’s disappointments and detours? I certainly do. I like to move in what I think is a direct line to what I believe is God’s plan for me. Yet, God’s ways are so much higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:9) and I’m learning this His ways often include detours
In 1 Samuel 9, Saul and a family servant set out to find some lost donkeys. Their three-day search takes them to the hometown of Samuel, the prophet. Upon their arrival, the servant suggests that they ask Samuel about the location of the donkeys. They proceed to do so, not realizing that God had told Samuel the day before that He was sending Saul to him so that Samuel could anoint him as the leader over Israel (v. 16). God used some wayward donkeys to get Saul and Samuel in the same place for this momentous occasion. Saul was anointed king and the donkeys were found by others. God definitely had a purpose in leading Saul on this donkey detour.
Of course, most of us do get discouraged when we encounter apparent setbacks. However, when we increasingly know God (really know Him ) as sovereign, we will believe (deep down in our hearts) that God can even cause the detours to work together for good. The detours become detours with a purpose (or DWAP’s, for short). Leaders with a high view of God’s sovereignty may get discouraged initially when faced with unexpected detours, but soon recapture hope, purpose, and confident optimism as they revel in the knowledge that their Leader is in control.