Detours Worth Taking

“You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.” (Exodus 15:13 NKJV)

How many times have you mapped a trip and started out, only to encounter those irritating signs—“Road Closed Ahead” and “Detour”? Now, instead of reaching your destination quickly, you’re required to navigate a winding route that takes you through a no-man’s-land and beyond…in a bad mood.

In decades past, you’d unfold a gas-station map and attempt to re-route your way past the detour. The tricky part was re-folding the map along its original creases. At least cellphones now can show you how much longer your trip will be. 

Detours are exasperating…unless you use them as an opportunity for gratitude and trust in God’s plans.

The apostle Paul and his companions ran into detours frequently on their missionary journeys. Sometimes the delays were unexpected due to arrests, imprisonment, beatings, shipwrecks, and more. 

At other times, the Holy Spirit spoke directly to Paul, to lead him to a specific place. Here’s one example where God sent him on multiple detours:

“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:6-10 NKJV)

Paul’s immediate obedience and flexibility in following the Holy Spirit resulted in significant events for the city of Philippi in Macedonia. A “seller of purple” named Lydia was saved and later became a hostess to Paul. A fortune-telling demon was driven out from a slave girl. Paul and Silas were beaten, thrown into jail, and held until an earthquake loosened their chains—at which point, the jailer was saved. Whole households became Christians, were baptized, and saved because of the mission team’s change in direction.

Friend, have you ever received a direct summons from God to modify your plans? Or have you been forced to go a different course, only to find that it turned into a blessing?

There have been many times in my own life where God’s unseen angels arranged for divine appointments for His purposes. I once arrived early for an out-of-town job interview where I ran into a former client (from more than 750 miles away) and knew immediately God had sent me a message to avoid working there. One year later, I begrudgingly attended a Bible study event because I needed to learn more about prayer…and wound up meeting my future husband there. 

While we were waiting through a delayed process in adopting our son from Siberia, the FBI rejected my blurred fingerprints three times. But that rejection led to a relationship with an official who cut the red tape for us, streamlining our adoption and opening the doors for 50 more families.

Jesus, our Gentle Shepherd, guides not only our hearts but the circumstances around us. He uses detours, delays, and unexpected encounters to shape our journey through this world. What may look at first to us as annoying or even despairing problems may be angels-in-disguise events from Him.

How can we address these situations to make the best of them?

First, recognize we are never alone but always in Jesus’ loving arms—we don’t need to worry. As Paul wrote back to those Philippians who rejoiced in hearing his message, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:67 NKJV) 

If you get stuck in standstill traffic due to an accident ahead, use it as an opportunity to thank God you weren’t in the wreck and to pray for those involved. Construction? Pray for safety for the workers. How about a canceled appointment? Thank God for the extra time in your schedule and use it for His glory.  

From time to time, defy your own plans and take an unnecessary detour. Go off your route to find a quiet place to read your Bible, talk with God, and ask Him to direct your paths. Praise Him for His Creation, and look for unexpected details of His beauty around you. 

The final key is to trust God in the changes. Paul did, and God’s route took Him through some harrowing, painful experiences. But the ultimate result was leading His children to salvation.

May we all look for “God moments” in our detours and trust Him to keep us on the right path!

Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom. 

© Copyright 2025 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #detour #roadclosed #bypass #GPS #mapfolding #philippi #macedonia #lydia #slave