“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Genesis 50:20 (NIV)
Life’s most significant moments often arrive disguised as detours. When our carefully mapped plans get interrupted, our first reaction is usually frustration or fear. We grip our steering wheel tighter, desperately looking for the next exit back to our preferred route. But what if these unexpected turns aren’t interruptions of God’s plan but integral parts of it?
The Hebrew word for “intended” in Genesis 50:20 reveals a profound truth. “Chashab” means to weave or devise, suggesting that God doesn’t just repurpose our detours – He actively weaves them into His grand design. It’s not just making the best of a bad situation; it’s about God masterfully working every thread, even the dark ones, into His tapestry of grace. Joseph’s story wasn’t just redeemed; it was always part of God’s master plan.
We often judge detours by their immediate inconvenience. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.” “I should be further along by now.” “Everyone else is reaching their destination while I’m stuck in this holding pattern.” These thoughts torment us as we watch our timeline crumble. But God’s timeline operates on a different scale altogether.
Our detours often become someone else’s highway to hope. In 1923, Walt Disney faced what seemed like a devastating setback when his first animation company went bankrupt. A few years later, Universal Studios legally stripped him of his beloved character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Most would have seen these as career-ending failures. Instead, these painful detours led Disney to create Mickey Mouse in 1928, building what would become one of the world’s most influential entertainment empires. (Interestingly, in 2006, Disney regained the rights to Oswald through a trade deal, bringing the story full circle.) When God interrupts our plans, He often has more people in mind than just us.
Pain has a way of getting our attention like nothing else. As C.S. Lewis wisely noted, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.” We confidently quote “when God closes a door, He opens a window” until all doors and windows seem sealed shut. Yet often, it’s in these moments of complete redirection that we finally stop to truly listen to God’s voice.
It’s easy to practice faith on a straight road. But detours? They require a different kind of trust altogether. Abraham never imagined his detour to Mount Moriah would become a testament of faith for generations. Ruth couldn’t have known her detour to Bethlehem would place her in the lineage of the Messiah. Your current detour might just be positioning you for something beyond your wildest dreams.
The most beautiful art often emerges from what appears to be mistakes. Artists call them “happy accidents” – those unplanned brush strokes or color combinations that end up making the masterpiece even more striking. God, the Master Artist, uses our life’s detours in much the same way, creating beauty from what we thought were wrong turns.
Godseekers, embrace your divine detours. What feels like an interruption today might be God’s preparation for tomorrow. Your detour isn’t a deviation from God’s plan; it is His plan. Trust the Artist who sees the finished masterpiece while you’re still struggling with what looks like a mess.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, forgive us for our frustration when You redirect our paths. Help us trust Your higher purposes when life takes unexpected turns. Thank You for being the Master Artist who weaves every detour into Your beautiful design. Give us the faith to embrace Your redirections, knowing that Your plans are always better than our own. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- What “detour” in your life has later revealed itself to be part of God’s master plan?
- How might your current frustrations be divine detours preparing you for something greater?
Step of Faith
Today, I will choose to embrace my current “detour” as part of God’s artistry, looking for His purpose in the unexpected turns.
