No Shortcuts To The Promised Land!

“There are no shortcuts to the promised land.”
This is something I read in a book the other day and I have pondered it all week. 

How often do we ask God, or in some circumstances, beg God, for a shortcut to our promised land?
How often do we cry out asking God to take away our pain, to lessen the load, or to get us to the other side quicker than it’s happening?

One thing (amongst many) that I have learned through my journey of recovery, is that there are no shortcuts. No matter how much i beg and plead with God, my journey is my journey and there are no shortcuts!

Sure, there are ways to make my journey easier. There are people along the way who can guide and direct me. There are people who have walked similair journeys who can share their wisdom and what they learnt. But at the end of the day, even though I may be promised the land, there are no shortcuts to get there quicker.

God loves me too much to allow me to take short cuts!
The journey to my promised land is what is giving me the strength, grit and determination to get to my promised land and I know I will appreciate it so much more when I get there becuase of the journey it has taken me to get there.The beautiful parts, the healing parts and, dare I say it, the hard parts will all lead me to what God has waiting for me.

So many lessons I would have missed out on, strength I wouldnt have and personal victories I wouldnt have conquered if my journey had been cut short.

I remember trying to take a short cut once and the journey actually taking me longer than if I had stuck to the original route! Sure, the journey may be slow but there is beauty along the way if we slow down enough to notice and enjoy it. Why are we always in such a hurry to arrive? How much are we missing in our eagerness to get there, and actually do we even know where “there” is? Will we know when we have arrived? Or will it just be a pit stop on the way to our next “promised land”.

I, for one, dont know what my promised land looks like. I have glimpses every now and then, but I have no idea what it will look like when I arrive. Will I even know if I have arrived? And so why would I rush and miss things along the way. Miss those blessings God has hidden for me as I journey with Him.

Speaking of Promised lands, I wonder if the Israelites ever wished for a short cut? Wandering day after day for so many years. Surely a few of them, probably the ones who grumbled the loudest, thought about taking a short cut? I wonder if some of them even tried, and ended up back with everyone else when their short cut never led to their promised land? I dont suppose there are many shortcuts to be found in the desert, but Im sure some of them tried. Its only natural right? To find an easier way than the long road that often lays ahead of us? But we all know the end of the story, and we all know there were no short cuts!

And so as I take small steps towards my promised land, I thank God for His love and mercy that is never ending. For the beauty He has placed in my life. And I genuinely thank Him for the hard moments, as I know they will make my promised land even sweeter when I do get there.