THE BACKWARD STEP THAT LEADS FORWARD…

©Opeyemi Akintunde
Inspired by The LIVING WORD

“Go back home and wait!” 

The words hit Shade like a hammer. She had just moved to the city with big dreams… new job, fresh opportunities, and finally, independence. But things didn’t go as planned. Job applications were ignored, her savings drained fast, and the weight of survival pressed on her shoulders. 

Then came the unexpected call: her mother had fallen ill, and she needed to return home.

“God, this is not the plan. I’m supposed to be moving forward, not backward!” she cried. 

Reluctantly, she packed her bags and returned to her small hometown, feeling like a failure. But what she saw as a SETBACK was a divine SETUP. 

While caring for her mother, Shade noticed something… there was no proper delivery service in her town. People struggled to get essential goods, and business owners found it difficult to reach customers. It started as a simple idea: helping a few store owners transport their goods. But soon, her little service grew into the town’s biggest logistics company!

What Shade thought was a detour was actually God’s direction. 

Similarly, Joseph had a dream of greatness, but everything seemed to move in the opposite direction. Instead of ruling, he was rejected. Instead of rising, he was thrown into a pit. Instead of honor, he was sold as a slave.

Then, when things started to look better in Potiphar’s house, another setback came… he was falsely accused and imprisoned. 

“God, this is not the plan!”

Yet, even in prison, God was working. The prison became the place where he met the king’s butler, the very connection that led him to Pharaoh’s palace! What looked like a backward step was a stepping stone to his destiny.

When God gives a marching order that doesn’t make sense, trust Him.

• That job loss might be pushing you into your real calling.
• That relationship that ended might be God’s way of saving you from disaster.
• That delay might be a divine setup for something bigger.

God sees what you cannot see. His commands may not always be what you want to hear, but they will always lead you to the best destination.

***

PRAYER BULLETS

1. Lord, help me trust Your direction even when it doesn’t make sense.
2. Father, let every seeming setback in my life be a setup for something greater.
3. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see opportunities even in unexpected places.
4. Any force resisting my divine redirection, be silenced in Jesus’ name.
5. I refuse to be blinded by frustration; I will walk in God’s perfect plan.
6. Lord, like Joseph, elevate me through every season of my life.
7. I will not miss my place of destiny due to impatience or misunderstanding.

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Inspired by the TRUTH REVEALER

Written by Opeyemi Akintunde
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