Divine delays and detours

January 4, 2012 — 19 Comments

  detour

“I think some of us want to know the will of God more than we want to know God.”  Mark Batterson “Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God“

I can totally relate to this statement.

I am a task driven person.

This means that sometimes I can get so focused on the task that I can forget why I am doing it or for Whom I am doing it for.

When we do this it short circuits our spiritual growth because we can’t do the will of God if we don’t have the heart of God.

Me desire is to know God more fully and sometimes (okay a lot of the times) this comes through divine delays and detours.

Everything that happens to us can be used by God to mould and shape us into the person that He wants us to be – that is, if we let Him.

I know for certain that I would not be doing what I am today if it wasn’t for my medical leave in 2007.  That was a very painful experience but God used it to bring about some very necessary changes in my life.

When I was going through that painful experience I could have chosen to pack it in and quit being a pastor for good (that was definitely an option at the time).

Thankfully, God brought the right people into my life (first and foremost my wonderful and beautiful wife Lauren) to help me through that difficult time.

I know I am a healthier person as a result.

More importantly, I grew leaps and bounds in my relationship with God through that divine detour.

 “We must never put our dreams of success as God’s purpose for us. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end. His purpose is what I depend on Him and on His power now. It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God.” Oswald Chambers

How have you experienced this truth in your life?

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Kevin Martineau

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I am the Pastor at Port Hardy Baptist Church on Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. I am married to my best friend and I have three beautiful daughters.

19 responses to Divine delays and detours

  1. Joanne Norton January 4, 2012 at 11:27 am

    Not that the song lyrics are anything godly, and certainly not the verses, but, in some ways, are true:

    Here’s the chorus:

    De-tour there’s a muddy road ahead
    De-tour paid no mind to what it said
    De-tour oh these bitter things I find
    Should have read that detour sign

    ================
    Many of us do not know when a detour sign will be put in place to RE-place us so the focus can be placed more clearly on the Lord and not on our desk, dishes, spiritual “chores”… just HIM. Need to be watchful so we don’t end up heading down a “muddy” or “bitter” stretch of time.
    Joanne Norton recently posted…"ASTONISHED WITH A GREAT ASTONISHMENT"My Profile

    Reply
  2. Jason Stasyszen January 4, 2012 at 11:28 am

    Delay or acceleration, He is worthy of my praise and I want to press in to know Him more deeply and intimately. Good post, Kevin. Thanks.

    Reply
  3. Teresa Tomas January 4, 2012 at 12:34 pm

    What a wonderful reminder of the divine wisdom inherent in “God’s timing” – the Chambers quote really drove the message home for me!

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts – I will be printing your post – it will be my first entry in my “HOPE AND THOUGHTS FOR 2012″ folder – that way I will have it handy to refer to during the days that lie ahead.

    Warmest regards – Teresa

    Reply
  4. Mika Castro January 5, 2012 at 2:47 am

    That’s a little bit shocking that you forget it all by just a single task. But i am sure that God made everything possible.

    Reply
  5. Emilia January 5, 2012 at 9:26 am

    I had strange experiences too with God. By the time these happened, I found them strange, but not any more, now it all makes sense. I lost my job, became sick. I felt bad. THEN He showed/told me my tasks. now I know that I was walking on the wrong path, and I should be taking a turn now. I am in the phase of preparation right now, i need to figure out how exactly I should do all this. :) Thanks for this post!

    Reply
  6. Margoax January 5, 2012 at 10:37 am

    Well for me, this is really inspiring and I want to thank you for sharing it to us here…Great job!!

    Reply
  7. Di ( January 6, 2012 at 9:19 am

    I identified with this and it helped me view my own situation differently, or at least to think further about it.

    I was at Bible College and dropped out in 2008 due to mental health illness and am only just starting to come out the other side. Back in 2006-2008 I felt I was heading in the direction God had lined up for me, and then wham! Now I am in the very very early stages of facing the future and wondering where and what the future has for me.

    Have I been on a delay or detour ? do I pick up where I left off? Is picking up where I left off even possible for me? It is not possible at the moment, I am not mentally well enough. But will I gradually reach the point of continuing where I left off. God knows, I know that. But life is hard at the moment, what is my life, and where am I heading? It is so difficult to rebuild my/a life.

    Reply
  8. JennyGreyson January 12, 2012 at 7:48 pm

    In every path that we choose “detour and/or delay” is always
    in our side to attached on the moment that we made a decision, Everything is fixed all you can do is to made a great decision with the light of “God”.
    Because as “Man goes, God will follow”

    Reply

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