“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
— Jeremiah 29:11
In 1920, an examining board for selecting missionaries was considering a young man named Oswald Smith for foreign missionary service. One dream dominated young Oswald’s heart: He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, “Lord, open a door of missionary service for me.”
But when the examination was over, the board turned the young man down because he didn’t meet their health qualifications. Oswald Smith had set his direction, but God had other plans. As he prayed, God planted another idea in his heart. If he could not go as a missionary, he would build a church that could send out missionaries.
So Oswald Smith founded The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada, which sent out more missionaries than any other church at that time. Had young Oswald become a missionary, he would’ve made an impact. But his unexpected “detour” expanded his life’s impact beyond what he could’ve done alone.
Maybe God’s given you a detour in life and you don’t see today how it’s going to work out. But trust Him in those detours. His plan is greater than you could imagine, and He’ll work everything out to maximize His glory through you!
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to give you peace that He’ll work everything out in the “detours” of life.
Questions for Thought
Why do you think it’s hard to accept when what God wants isn’t what we want?
How have you seen God work out a past detour in your life for the best?