By Andrew Williams
Opening Prayer
God, you are the ultimate redeemer. We trust you to take the broken pieces of our story and make something beautiful out of them.
Today’s Scripture (NLT)
Romans 8:28
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
When we look back on a spiritual detour, it’s easy to see it as a wasted season, a time of failure we just want to forget. But our God is a master of redemption. This incredible promise in Romans 8:28 means that nothing in the life of a believer is ever truly wasted—not even our mistakes, our failures, or our wanderings.
God doesn’t cause our sin, but He is so sovereign and so wise that He can take the consequences of our detour and work them together for our ultimate good. The “wilderness” we wandered through can become a classroom. Our fall can teach us a profound lesson about our own weakness and God’s incredible grace.
The pain of distance can produce a deeper appreciation for the joy of His presence. The struggle with a particular sin can give us greater compassion for others who struggle. God redeems our experiences, using the wisdom we gained in the wilderness to make us more humble, more grateful, and more dependent on Him than we were before we left.
Disciples’ Life Tip: Reflect on a past failure or detour in your life. Instead of focusing on the regret, ask God this question: “What did you teach me through that? What wisdom did I gain from that wilderness?”
Closing Prayer: Father, thank You that no part of our story is wasted. We give You our failures and our detours, trusting that You will work even these things together for our good and for Your glory. Amen.
