The long way.

"When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, 'If the people are faced with battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.' 

So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea." Exodus 13:17-18a

If you ever feel deliberately led into the wilderness by God's hand, take heart. He might be helping you make wide circles around a battlefield that would send you tearing away in the opposite direction of the freedom he has planned for you. Maybe not every time. Sometimes wilderness is just wilderness; life is hard and full of it. But my trust in him grows a little bit when I read those verses. He isn't looking at our lives day by day, like we are. He knows the whole story, from beginning to end, and knows the safest and best route, even when it's not the shortest. He never promised us efficiency. He's intentional. He uses the weak to lead the strong. He's slow to anger. He waits. He's calculated and he takes us (often drags) through the process with him, even when it means taking the roundabout way through the wilderness. 

A few chapters later, Moses tells the Israelites "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today...the Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm." (14:13)