Exodus 13

"Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt." vv.17-18

Read chapter 13
When freeing them from slavery in Egypt, God doesn't take them the easy way to the promised land but through the wilderness. His reason for this is so that they won't turn back when faced with trouble. Sometimes when things are too easy for me I'm not as devout to that decision, but when something is difficult that I have to push through, it is more satisfying to my soul and makes me stronger in the Lord, through weakness and battle. When have been some easy and difficult paths that Lord has guided you in your life and how did you respond or learn from that?
I like the detail that they left Egypt in "ordinary ranks." This was some mad chaos of everyone running away, nor a hidden sneak out, but a huge miracle often overlooked. Israel's population at this time was around 2-3 million and would normally take days/weeks to move that many people out of Egypt considering traveling with women, kids, articles of silver, gold and clothes they got from the Egyptians. Only a miracle could move this amount of people as far as they went in this short amount of time. God is the God of order, not of disorder (1 Cor. 14:3).