In one of the most difficult valleys of my life, Bishop William Sciscoe instructed me to look for the fruit. To be completely honest, I thought he was trying to distract me from the stark reality of the confusion I was experiencing. Though I did not entirely understand why or how I would find fruit in the dark place I was in, I was obedient and began to turn over every rock and search for any sign of fruit. Without success, I turned over everything I could look under. Then I decided to look in a place I had not looked... I looked up!
Detours in the valley have a very important role in our lives as they keep us from being destroyed and dying in the valley. A detour is simply the long or roundabout way that is taken to avoid something or to visit something on the way to a destination. Detours are there for our protection and provision.
Remember to look in the right direction for the fruit. Just look up! Look upon Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. It does not do anyone any good to hang their head in defeat. The detours in the valleys of our lives are there to help us on our journey to the mountaintop. They are there to build our faith and trust in Him. Detours are there to develop us into the man or woman of God He has purposed us to be.