It's Okay to Turn Back Sometimes

It’s Okay to Turn Back Sometimes

"Then we turned around and went back into the wilderness, following the route to the Red Sea, as the LORD had instructed me. We worked our way in and around the hills of Seir for a long, long time." (Deut. 2:1)

Most of us value determination—the ability to press on and not give up. But there is an even greater skill: the wisdom to pause, to adjust, and even to turn back when God directs. Progress is not always measured by moving forward at all costs. Sometimes, true progress begins with a God-led retreat.

Turning back does not mean failure. It can be God’s way of preparing us—giving us time to rest, to recover, and to regain strength for the journey ahead. Just as a catapult or bow must first pull backward in order to launch forward with greater force, so too God may lead us back so He can propel us further.

Israel had to retrace their steps at God’s command. To human logic, this may have seemed like wasted time, but in God’s wisdom, it was the safest and surest route. Moving backward under His instruction is not regression—it is redirection.

The challenge is to remain open to God’s voice in the present, not only His instructions from the past. Abraham would have sacrificed Isaac if he had not listened to what God was saying in that moment. Likewise, Peter had to humble himself in Acts 10 to embrace a new command from the Spirit.

The real question is this: if God told you today to turn around, would you obey? Going back into the wilderness may feel like delay, but in God’s hands, it becomes the path to destiny.

Have a fruitful day,
(Dr.) Emmanuel Okoro
(aka Dr. Lift) 

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