Out of Egypt, Into Canaan: When God Takes the Long Way
Introduction
There are two journeys every believer must take:
- The journey Out of Egypt
- The journey Into Canaan
The first is fast. The second is slow.
God can bring you out of something in a moment, but it can take years to get that thing out of you.
Even after freedom, the appetite of slavery can remain. Egypt was not just a place—it was a mindset. Canaan was not just land—it was a new way of thinking.
You can leave a trap and still think like a trapped person. You can leave a struggle and still think like a struggling person. You can leave Egypt and Egypt still not leave you.
This is similar to what we understand today as PTSD—Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The symptoms fall into four main groups:
- Re-experiencing: flashbacks, nightmares
- Avoidance: staying away from reminders
- Arousal/Reactivity: being jumpy, irritable, trouble sleeping
- Cognition/Mood: negative thoughts, guilt, detachment
The Main Text: Exodus 13:17-18
"So it happened, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearer; for God said, 'The people might change their minds when they see war [that is, that there will be war].'" (AMP)
The question is: Why would God take them the long way when there was a shorter way? They had already waited 40 years.
Point 1: Divine Delays—Why God Sometimes Takes the Long Way
1. God May Delay Because You're Not Ready to Receive It
Deliverance changes your location. Development changes your capacity. God won't give you a promise your character can't sustain.
Some of you want acceleration, but you're overloaded with mindsets God is trying to remove first.
2. God May Delay to Protect You
The Via Maris was the shortest route—but it was guarded by the Philistines, a powerful military force engaged in constant warfare. Israel had been enslaved for generations.
Which route would you choose if you knew the whole story?
3. God May Delay Because of His Timing
"My thoughts are not your thoughts..." (Isaiah 55:8)
- Delay is not denial
- Delay is alignment
- God is never late—He's strategic
4. God May Delay to Grow Your Faith
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (James 1:2-4, NLT)
Faith that has never been tested cannot be trusted.
Point 2: Understanding God's Compassion—Why He Avoided the Philistines
God knew Israel would panic. Compassion made Him reroute them. Slaves don't become soldiers overnight. God doesn't shame weakness—He trains it.
"But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God's willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides]." (James 1:6-8, AMP)
"You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And the light [of God's favor] will shine upon your ways." (Job 22:28, AMP)
Point 3: The Wilderness Is Not Punishment—It's Preparation
"But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea; the sons of Israel went up in battle array (orderly ranks, marching formation) out of the land of Egypt." (Exodus 13:18, AMP)
Even before they were ready to fight, God began teaching them how to move like an army.
The wilderness:
- Reveals what's in you
- Removes what can't go with you
- Refines your trust in God
Even Jesus was prepared in the wilderness:
"Then Jesus was led by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." (Matthew 4:1, AMP)
Kingdom Wisdom Keys: How to Shift Mindsets
Wisdom Key #1: Forget the Past
"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14, ESV)
You cannot move forward while constantly rehearsing yesterday.
The windshield is bigger because what's ahead matters more.
Wisdom Key #2: Faith
"So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift." (Romans 4:16, NLT)
"And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, NLT)
Faith is how promises are received. Faith says: "I don't need to see it yet—I trust God anyway."
Wisdom Key #3: Focus
Renew Your Focus
"And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]." (Romans 12:2, AMP)
Set Your Focus
"Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]." (Colossians 3:2, AMP)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God's absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity]." (Hebrews 12:1-2, AMP)
Transformation happens when focus changes. Where your mind goes—your life follows.
Whatever you lock your eyes on will shape your direction.
Wisdom Key #4: Fight
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12, ESV)
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]." (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, AMP)
Canaan is occupied territory. Every promise requires persistence. Freedom is free—possession is fought for. You don't drift into destiny. You discipline your way into it.
You can't win a fight you refuse to engage.
Closing Declaration
God didn't bring you out just to wander—He brought you out to take over.
If God is taking the long way, it's because He's preparing you for what the short way would have destroyed.
Discussion Questions
- Identifying Your Egypt: What "Egypt" has God delivered you from (a situation, relationship, addiction, or mindset)? In what ways might that "Egypt" still be influencing your thoughts and decisions today? How can you recognize when you're thinking like a freed person versus thinking like you're still trapped?
- Divine Delays in Your Life: Reflect on a time when God seemed to take you the "long way" to a promise or goal. Looking back now, what do you see that God was protecting you from or preparing you for during that delay? How does understanding God's compassion in rerouting Israel change your perspective on current delays in your life?
- Wilderness as Preparation: The sermon teaches that the wilderness reveals what's in you, removes what can't go with you, and refines your trust in God. What is the wilderness revealing about your character right now? What mindsets or habits is God asking you to leave behind before you can fully possess His promises?
- Renewing Your Focus: The message emphasizes that "where your mind goes, your life follows." What are you currently focused on—your past failures, present struggles, or future promises? What practical steps can you take this week to shift your focus from "what's behind" to "what lies ahead" as Philippians 3:13-14 instructs?
- Fighting for Your Promise: The sermon declares that "freedom is free, but possession is fought for." What promise from God are you currently fighting for? What does "fighting the good fight of faith" look like in your specific situation? What would change if you approached this battle with the discipline of an athlete training for an imperishable crown?