When you were in school you would have to take regular tests. These tests let the teacher know where you stood on the material you needed to learn. If you were unable to pass these tests, then more assignments and more tests would have to be given. God also gives tests. His tests show where we are on the road of our personal development. God is not going to bring you to the fruition of your destiny until He knows you are able to handle it spiritually, emotionally, physically and the like. If you cannot handle it, you will lose it rather than use it for His glory. That is why He focuses so intently on our development as He takes us to our destiny. The timing and length of our detours in life is often dependent upon our personal choices and growth. God may have a short detour planned for us but we make it longer through our hard-headedness, stubbornness, resentment or immaturity and doubt. For those of you who work out or exercise, did you know that your muscles change almost immediately after a strength training session? The process called protein synthesis occurs anywhere from two to four hours after exercising. This is how the muscles grow stronger and bigger. Yet even though it happens so quickly after strength training, it is typically four to six weeks before noticeable muscle changes are seen by others. Have you ever started an exercise regime only to quit it because you did not see any results? Many people do because they expect results a lot sooner than the results take to actually develop. Similarly, many people stop pursuing the pathway to their destiny when they don't see things lining up as quickly as they thought they should. But God is intentionally using the delays and detours in our lives to develop us for where He is taking us. Arriving at your destiny requires patience in the process.
~ Tony Evans
