The detours of your story are part of the design…
A few years ago I heard the phrase “God draws straight with crooked lines.”
It’s a great summary of how God works out His purposes in unexpected ways.
But let’s unpack this idea a bit further…
We tend to assume that progress — in our lives and in the world — should be linear. A straight line from A to B.
That’s an understandable assumption.
When Adam began His work, things appeared to get off to a good start…
He named the animals, likely in short order.
But with the Fall, everything changed.
Suddenly, there were thorns and thistles to contend with…
Along with all the adverse effects that sin brought on Adam’s thinking, capacity, and relationships.
We suffer from the Fall in the same way — and we can see it in the twists and turns of our lives.
But this isn’t the whole story.
God is still at work to accomplish His purpose for mankind.
He still intends to bring His rule into the world through humanity.
It just doesn’t happen in the neat, predictable development we might expect.
Instead, it unfolds through detours and delays.
One of the clearest examples of this is the story of Joseph in the Old Testament.
Joseph’s life was full of crooked lines —
Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, thrown into prison… and then, unexpectedly, elevated to prime minister of Egypt.
For most of that journey, it looked like a meaningless mess.
But God was providentially accomplishing His purpose—overcoming evil and bringing about good.
Let that encourage you today.
You may look at your life and not see much rhyme or reason in what’s happening.
Some of the directions your story has taken may demoralize you.
But take heart.
God is not finished with your story.
And He’s more than capable of using every twist and turn to grow you and prepare you for what’s next.
God draws straight with crooked lines.
So stay faithful—and stay hopeful.