WHEN GOD RETRACES YOUR STEPS

 

“Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.” – Isaiah 65:24

I was set to travel and stopped at a mall to pick some essential items. In the rush to beat time, I left behind the things I had placed outside the mall—and forgot to buy the food I intended to eat before departure. Time was short, so I moved on, thinking I’d just repurchase them when I arrived at my destination.

But heaven had already gone ahead of me.

As I stood outside waiting for a cab, a fellow clergy unexpectedly pulled up and offered me a ride. A few minutes into the trip, he said politely, “Please don’t be offended, I need to make a quick stop at the mall.” To my surprise, he drove straight to the exact mall where I had left my things. Even more striking—the eatery I had missed was just opposite the spot.

Right there, I realized this wasn’t coincidence—it was providence. I didn’t retrace my steps by planning. God retraced them for me.

This is the kind of thing God does throughout Scripture:

Like Joseph, sold into slavery, only to be positioned to preserve nations (Genesis 50:20).

Like Ruth, who “happened” to glean in the field of her redeemer (Ruth 2:3).

Like Elijah, who was divinely sent to a widow already appointed to feed him (1 Kings 17:9).

God orders our steps—even the ones we didn’t realize we missed.

I thought I had lost something. But God had already planted someone on the road to help me recover it.

Sometimes God lets you forget, so you can witness how He remembers. He doesn’t just go with us—He retraces the steps we didn’t know were important.

So now I ask you:

What if the things you thought were gone are only waiting for you at a divine intersection?

What if the delay, the detour, the forgotten piece… is just God preparing a sweeter way to return it?

Would you trust Him enough… to let Him retrace your steps?

Let your soul rest—nothing truly slips away when your journey is in His hands.