Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

- Exodus 14:1-4

Our friend JRR Tolkien wrote: “Not all who wander are lost.”

In today’s passage, we see the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness. To all outside observers, they look lost, stuck, trapped. But to those who know the full story, they are doing EXACTLY what the Lord wants them to do.

Earlier this week, we looked at the way the Lord sometimes leads his people (which includes us) by indirect routes. He does this for our good and to bless us. But he also does this for the sake of the people who are watching us.

Over and over again this pattern emerges in Scripture. God does things IN us while also doing things THROUGH us. The things he is doing IN us are not just FOR us.

God wants the Egyptians to know that he’s the Lord. He also wants the people who are watching your life to know that he’s the Lord.

Who is watching your life right now? Who is paying attention to you while you walk along God’s indirect routes?