EquipHer Vol. 27: "The Trenches in Life"Sample

Day 4 – Faith in the Midst of Redirection

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5–6, NIV)

Imagine having a well-defined plan, clear direction, and every detail mapped out and carefully scheduled, when all of a sudden, something shifts. A door closes. An opportunity ends. A relationship becomes fractured. A confirmation you were waiting for never comes. Suddenly, you are left feeling confused and disoriented.

Sometimes, the “trench” God places us in is quiet. It is made of closed doors, unexpected pauses, and paths that once seemed promising but suddenly lead nowhere. It is in that place of disorientation that God calls us to trust Him—and to acknowledge Him even when the path is unexpectedly rerouted.

That is exactly what happened to Paul during one of his missionary journeys. In Acts 16, we read that Paul and his companions planned to preach the Gospel in Asia, but the Holy Spirit prevented them. They then attempted to enter Bithynia, but again, the Spirit of God did not allow it. Two closed doors. No explanation. No plan B. Just the need to trust and wait.

Then, one night, Paul had a vision: a man from Macedonia pleading with him to come help them. Through that vision, they understood that God was rerouting their path in a completely different direction (Acts 16:6–10). What seemed like frustrating obstacles became the starting point of one of the most fruitful missions in the New Testament.

Closed doors are not always a loss. Often, it is protection or a strategic redirection. If we keep trusting the voice guiding us, we will still arrive. Perhaps not by the shortest way, but we will reach the right place, at the right time.

God sometimes “recalculates” our path. When a turn feels confusing - a partnership falls apart, a project that fails - or a door shuts just as things seem to be going well, remember: our job is not to argue with His guidance but to acknowledge Him in all our ways.

Trusting God’s guidance means surrendering to the truth that His ways are higher than ours, and His thoughts are greater than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). He sees the full picture. We only see a snapshot. Even if we do not immediately understand the shift in direction, we can rest in the certainty that He knows exactly where we are going.

Reflective Questions:

• What “closed door” are you facing right now?
• How can you surrender that situation to God instead of forcing it with your own strength?
• Can you recognize moments in your past when divine redirection led you to places far better than what you had originally planned?

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for continuing to guide me, even when doors close. Help me not to see redirection as failure but as part of Your perfect plan. Make me sensitive to Your voice, give me peace when the unexpected comes, and courage to follow the path You have set before me. Amen.