When you look at Scripture, it is full of destinies being reached through detours. When God told Israel He would take them to their destiny in Canaan, they had to cross the Red Sea in order to get there. However, He didn’t take them directly to the Red Sea. Rather, He took them down south and then brought them back up before He led them across the Red Sea. In fact, because they had not yet developed in the level of faith that they needed in order to conquer the enemy in the Promised Land, they wound up wandering on a forty-year detour before ever reaching their destiny.

The timing and length of our detours in life are often dependent upon our personal choices and growth. God may have a short detour planned for us, but we make it longer through our hard-headedness, stubbornness, resentment, immaturity and doubt.

Moses was on a detour for forty years. He knew what God wanted him to do. God wanted him to deliver his people from slavery. Yet it took forty years in the wilderness to develop Moses into the humble and trusting servant that he needed to be in order to have the mindset, faith and abilities to carry out the plan.

Abraham was on a twenty-five-year detour. At one point, God had told Abraham His plan for him—that He would bless nations through Abraham and make his name great. How could Abraham have thought at that time it would be twenty-five years before he would have a son? The vision and the proclamation from God to Abraham were real and vivid. At that point, it would have been odd for Abraham to believe it would be nearly three decades before he would witness the literal birth of God’s promise. When we give a plan or projection to someone, we typically do so shortly before we plan to carry it out. Yet God is not like us, and He will often give us a glimpse of our destiny long before we are prepared to actualize it, as He did when He told Abraham that there would be a 400-year detour in Egypt before they would reach their promised destination (Genesis 15:12-16).

The greatest apostle in the New Testament, Paul, went on a three-year detour to the desert and Damascus where God removed him from the front page of culture and life in order to strengthen him, teach him and develop him for his calling. I could go on and on with biblical examples of detours, but I think you get the picture. Detours are often a regular part of God’s plan in guiding us to our destinies.

God has a destiny for you. He has a purpose that He wants you to live out. But it may not happen tomorrow. You probably won’t get there by going in a straight line. Patience is the preeminent virtue needed in order to reach your destiny.

The following is a passage speaking on trials, but we can easily substitute the word tribulation with detours and arrive at the same intended meaning:

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations [detours], knowing that tribulation [detour] brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint…” (Romans 5:3-5).

Hope does not disappoint. Detours disappoint, momentarily. But when we allow them to produce hope, God promises that hope will not disappoint. But accepting your detours is necessary in order to arrive at an authentic hope in your spirit. Just like your muscles will not grow simply by wishing them to grow stronger. The pain through the process of strengthening your hope comes in detours, tribulations and trials. Show me someone with an indomitable hope and we will be looking at someone who has had his or her share of detours. I promise you this is true. Authentic hope is a learned trait. Now, I don’t mean wishful thinking or an optimistic attitude. I am referring to that level of hope that stays steady despite the storm and circumstances, which circle you in waves of chaos, testing and pain.

God is not going to bring you to the fruition of your destiny until He knows you are able to handle it spiritually, emotionally, physically and the like. If you cannot handle it, you will lose it rather than use it for His glory. That is why He focuses so intently on your development as He takes you to your destiny.