Rerouting...

One thing I love to avoid is confusion, so before we get into the topic for today, let’s get this definition out the way!

Rerouting - To send (someone or something) by or along a different route; to redirect (someone or something) to the same location by an alternate route.

And one thing I think is worth noting is that rerouting affects the amount of time it may take to arrive, usually increasing it, but we still end up getting where we need to be.

This topic was one that God laid on my heart and I just had to run with it because it really came out of nowhere. The underlying message is that God can and God WILL still get you where you need to go, given that you are submitting to Him, regardless of how many wrong takes you may take along the way. So y’all are probably like okay girl let’s get into the lesson now, so here we go!

God is God, and obviously we are not. We lack foresight even when we take years to think on and pray for/about things. We can make plans but the chances that they will change or be ruined altogether are very high. One thing people say a lot is that if you want to make God laugh tell Him your plans, and it’s true! Because majority of the time we are planning our own ideas and they just don’t line up with God’s plan which will always prevail. That being said, we can unknowingly derail God’s plans in the sense that we end up turning too early on the path or we turn the wrong way which may leave us confused about where we find ourselves and what we’re supposed to do to get back on track. And what’s worse? Sometimes, even in that confusion when we should stop and look to God for redirection, we keep going and then soon enough we are wayyyy too lost to figure out where to go next; nothing looks familiar and we are left feeling alone. But like I said, and thankfully so… God will get you there.

Let’s get into a little metaphor. Hopefully we all know what a GPS is… please, if not, Google is free (LOL). A GPS, in short, is used to get you where you need to be in optimal time. It is designed in a way to give you several options for your comfortability, while always getting you to your destination, and what God really revealed to me when this metaphor came to mind is — a GPS has the capacity to reroute or redirect you when you slip up. Now at this point, I feel like the message is coming together, God has the same ability but better. He has the ability to redirect and reroute our journeys, no matter how much we mess up. But there’s a bit of a catch… we have to listen. As with a GPS, if you just ignore God or ‘turn down the volume,’ how can He show you where to go or even alert you that your turn is coming up? Listening is vital! One scripture I want us to focus on:

James 1:22 (NLT) - But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

Another version says we should not fool ourselves “into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear.” (MSG) We have to be intentional about carrying out the Word of God and His commandments. We have to be intentional about not just saying we know He told us to be patient, but actually maintaining the right posture in our season of waiting!

Now let’s get into some more scriptures to help us understand why it has to be God’s way over everything else!

Proverbs 14:12 (NLT) - There is a path before each person that seems right  but it ends in death. We may think we know where to go and what to do, but we do not and the consequence of that — of not allowing God to direct and even redirect us — is death. I don’t know about y’all but I don’t want that.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) - Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. This is self explanatory I think, but we really just need to trust God. Put it into His Hands and allow Him to do what He does. Allow God to be God, allow Him to be your Father and make things work on your behalf! I like using this example: I go to my dad for everything! I trust that he knows what to do with things I don’t. So taxes, because who really understands them(??), when it comes to that time of year, my dad asks for my tax stuff and I give them to him and he takes care of it for me. After that first initial round of supplying him with whatever documents he needs, I never think of it again because I trust him. That’s the same way we need to be with God. Trust in His Will and that He has good plans for your life and as such, He will set you up to be the best version of yourself.

Jeremiah 10:23 (NLT) - …our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. We did not create our own lives, we were made by God for a purpose which only God knows. And since we weren’t part of the process of our creation, we cannot possibly know our purpose, without submitting to God and allowing Him to guide our steps.

Now, with all that being said, redirection takes TIME!! It may not always be easy either. Redirection sometimes can be ‘instant,’ if it’s like a small slip up. But more often than not, it takes a lot of time for us to get where we need to be. But sometimes we may not  even know we are being directed. But fear not, I have a couple ways that we can use to help us know when we may be in the process of redirection.

One of the first signs could be that nothing is working out. Things seems to fall apart before they come together. What used to be so clear, now seems blurry and unattainable. What you once loved doing and working toward now stresses you out and bores you. Another is just simple signs. Maybe God is sending prophetic words your way. Sermons, tiktoks, and even your friends start to speak directly to your situation and that specific thing you have been struggling with. Another sign is God speaking. Of course God is always speaking (whether we are listening is another thing), but in this case, He is telling you to do something new, or to let go of something you have been in for a long time. Isaiah 30:21 tells us: “Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go, whether to the right or to the left”” and it goes on to tell us that hearing this voice should encourage us to reject everything else and follow His instruction in order to receive “rain at planting time.” (v. 23) God will speak and you may start to feel a prompting or hint that something is changing/shifting, but you will not be entirely sure what it is or where it is taking you — but all you will know is that it is God and that He is about to do something amazing in your life if you just obey the call.

Something else I noticed is that you may start to be uncomfortable. God would be pushing you into places you never thought you would go or that you don’t want to be in. You may feel scared, like you’re out of your comfort zone — it may be a feeling of exposure. And I realized this is a good thing, it is God letting you know that you are ready for more than you know, that you are that light which He will not hide under a basket but rather place on a stand. (Matthew 5:14-15)  This may seem cliche but new dreams are a huge tell. Having a new ‘random’ yet strong desire to do something more or different for God and His Kingdom can be a very telling sign that He is calling you to the next stage. Another big one… conviction. HMMM!! This is one I have definitely felt personally, things that once used to slide off your back start to make your skin crawl. Things you used to indulge, like swearing in music, listening to certain profane convos, being around certain people, etc - you realize you can’t allow certain things to enter your spirit or dwell around you anymore.

I have mentioned a lot of things and I want y’all to understand that with all these things — pray and seek God. With all of these signs we have to have discernment and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance so that we may interpret everything accurately before making any moves. We need to ensure we are not being guided by selfish desires or whims of human nature and that we are really witnessing God at work within us. Put your faith in God and seek confirmation.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) - All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

The Word of God has the ability to direct us and make things right for us; remember that and trust in it. Believe it, I beg you, for you will not regret it. I am almost done I promise! Remember that God will get you there, just give Him the space to work. Dwell on these two scriptures:

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) - Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) - Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

I want you to keep these in the forefront of your mind even as you leave this blog. The Lord’s Will is destined to prevail over our own, so submit to Him who is able to do more than you could ever imagine! Start today, give God the chance to blow your mind. As MLK once said.. “You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”