“Sometimes it takes a wrong turn to get to the right place.” – Mandy Hale

“Sometimes when things seem to be going wrong, they are going right for reasons you have yet to understand.” – Alan Cohen

“Our bad things turn out for good, our good things can never be lost, and the best things are yet to come.” – Jonathan Edwards

Take a moment today to think about the current aspects of your life that seem to be heading in the wrong direction.  Things were going along fine when suddenly and without warning, situations and circumstances took a turn for the worse.

The life of Joseph, the son of Jacob, was a perfect example of how things can quickly head in the opposite direction of all that seems right, just, and appropriate.

His brother’s betrayal that led to eventual slavery, which was only made worse by false charges of rape that brought about a thirteen-year imprisonment.  During that time in prison, what looked like an opportunity for an early release, only led to disappointment and an additional two more years of waiting.

When you read the Scriptures, you see so many examples of lives that took a wrong turn.

Esther became a part of the king’s harem – taken to the king’s palace by a decree that gathered all young, beautiful virgins for consideration in becoming the next queen in Shushan.  Originally from Jerusalem, her parents were captives of a war between Babylon and Judah.  Both were now dead, and under the care of her uncle Mordecai, her life was now thrown in a direction she never intended – simply because of her physical appearance.

Ruth had to suffer through the death of her husband in the land Moab.  She had no where to go, so she decided to accompany her mother-in-law Naomi back to Judah, who had also lost her own husband and two sons.  They were so poor that in order to eat, they needed to glean wheat that was left behind by the harvesters.

Peter experienced several wrong turns in life.  Fourteen years after denying he knew Jesus prior to his crucifixion, he finds himself imprisoned by King Herrod who recently killed James, the brother of John.  Four squads of soldiers guarded him – making sure he would remain in prison until his execution.

Think of the wrong turns these four individuals faced in their lives.  Family betrayal, rejection, false accusations, unexpected death, objectification, poverty, and an impending death sentence.

What is surrounding the wrong place or wrong twist your life has taken?

Here is the thing:  Wrong places are ultimately connected to all that is right and suited for us.  Erroneous twists and turns generally point us in the direction of our destiny. Wrong places are often predestined – preparing us, teaching us, and positioning us for what is best and most desirable down the road.

For Joseph, his wrong turns prepared him for holding the second highest command in all of Egypt.  He told his brothers, “You plotted evil against me, but God turned it into good, in order to preserve the lives of many people who are alive today because of what happened.” (Genesis 50:20 GNT)

For Esther, she stood out and won the heart of King Ahasuerus, becoming the Queen (Esther 2:17).  Her new position allowed her to save the lives of the Jewish people within the providences of the kingdom.  Her Uncle Mordecai understood the concept of wrong turning right when he told Esther, “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”  (Esther 4:14 NLT)  This entire chapter of the Bible never mentions God in name or spirit, but you can see him working behind the scenes of the story making what seemed wrong turn out right.

For Ruth, the Bible says, “So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.”  (Ruth 2:3 NIV)  Boaz fell in love with Ruth.  He claimed and redeemed the lives of both Naomi and Ruth – making Ruth his wife.  From this lineage, King David was born and eventually Jesus of Nazareth – the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

For Peter, what seemed like certain death turned into a miraculous prison escape – led by an angel of the Lord (Acts 12:7).  The Scriptures say, “When Peter came to his senses”, (Acts 12:11 (WORD Translation) he realized what God had done!  Just days later, King Herrod himself was stuck down and died. (Acts 12:23).  A few days earlier, it looked like Peter’s fate was sealed, and in the end, the exact opposite occurred.

I love how the Bible describes Peter’s state of mind – confused, dazed, and wondering if what was happening was real.  Such a drastic turn of events was hard to comprehend.

When it comes to the wrong places we find ourselves in, when it comes to the wrong turns that come out of nowhere, moving our lives in a direction we didn’t anticipate, we need to quickly come to our senses my friend – realizing how God takes wrong and makes it right 😊

God is sovereignly and providentially at work.  The wrong situation is working for your eventual good.  The drastic wrong turn for the worse can drastically turn right in just days!  What seems wrong is really right!

Tonight, thank God for all the wrong places, wrong situations, and wrong turns your life has taken.  He is using them to make everything right again 😊

God bless!