Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.” He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” – Daniel 3:24-25
God’s presence with the three men in the fire not only freed them from the restraints that bound their arms, but it also protected them from what should have killed them. In addition to that, because of what the king witnessed when seeing them walk around, he told his guards to release the men. Thus, God’s presence delivered the men out of the fire as well. God’s presence is powerful. It brings comfort, protection and deliverance in the most trying of times.
There is a lot of confusion today between the connection of obedience to blessing. Many believers assume that if they are obedient to God, they ought to deserve a tangible reward. We live in a rewards-based culture, and that mentality has drifted into the Christian worldview in many ways. However, based on Scripture, many people were worse off in the tangible world when they obeyed. After all, Jesus’ obedience led Him to a cross. It is only when we align our understanding of obedience with God’s overarching sovereign hand of purpose (and even pruning) that we will be able to approach and go through our detours with faith, trust and dignity rather than doubt.
Far more often than not, the proof that you are on a divinely-designed detour will come from the realization of God’s presence in the midst of difficulty. It will not come from the immediate removal of difficulty (although that can occur) but rather from the persevering and preserving power given to you by God Himself as you go through the detour.
God didn’t keep Daniel from the lion’s den; He met him in it. He didn’t keep Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace; He joined them in it. He didn’t keep Joseph from being a slave to Potiphar; He gave him favor in it. And He met him in the prison as well. The proof in knowing you are where God wants you to be in your detour is that God doesn’t deliver you from it but rather joins you in it.
