Key Bible Verse: The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives (Psalm 37:23). Bonus Reading: Psalm 25:1-15

The intersection is a six-way circle of traffic confusion in the center of Missoula. Every time I approach it, my head pounds and my hands grow clammy. It is nevertheless the most direct route through the business district. Approaching Malfunction Junction recently, I saw a puzzle of detour signs. It looked to me like it had become the mother of all nightmares. But I was wrong! The detour led me to discover a route to get around Malfunction Junction in the future. Although longer by distance, it's shorter by time.

Sometimes God reroutes us as we travel the roads of life. But His detours always turn out. King David, the author of Psalm 25:1-15 had been anointed king as a teen, but it was many years before he actually ascended the throne. As God flagged David's life through many detours, He was building the character of one of Israel's greatest kings. Like David, the routes to our God-given destinies aren't direct; they're a tangle of detours designed to prepare us for our final destinations.

If the zigzags of God confuse you, ask Him to show you what He's up to. David often did, and came to see how God was directing his steps. God will do the same for you.

—Mike Raether in Montana

My Response: I'll read psalms of David and observe how he blurts out his questions to God.

Thought to Apply: The basic decision, after all, is to let God be God, to say "yes" to the work of the Lord. —LUKE TIMOTHY JOHNSON (theologian)

Prayer for the Week

Lord, decrease my preoccupation with my destination and increase my concern for the process You are using to shape my character.

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