As soon as the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, the Lord intentionally led them around the Philistine territory to avoid premature exposure to war. He knew they didn’t have enough confidence in Him to take care of them. If they were exposed to war too soon, they would turn around and flee right back to bondage in Egypt. Since they were slow in trusting the Lord, the journey that could have easily taken days, ended up taking 40 years. Let’s not be like those Israelites of old that refused to trust and obey the Lord. Their stubborn, rebellious hearts were set against being faithful to God because they would not let go of their past and place their total security in Him (Psalm 78:7-8). King David, on the other hand, had evil men plot against him, wanting to take him off his throne. Based on his personal trust in God, David resisted the urge to flee and instead, decided to place his confidence in the Lord, trusting Him to take care of his interests. (Psalm 11:1-7). His confidence was based on believing God was all knowing, all seeing, and all powerful – and that He was for him! David knew it was God who placed him on the throne, and that He had the power to keep him there. We should share that the same confidence in God too. He has planned every good work we are to do in Him, by Him, and through Him! All He needs is our trust and obedience to work with Him. Choose to lean on, rely on, and confidently put your trust in the Lord, so that you can, like David, obey His voice with joy and not be like the Israelites of old who delayed their destiny. He has prepared a way for you and empowered you to walk in it – with Him.