Reading for today: Acts 16:1-15
Paul and Silas, along with Timothy, continued to revisit the churches started on the first missionary journey. They delivered the letter from the Jerusalem Council and “the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” Healthy churches are growing churches.
If you look at the map of Paul’s second missionary journey, it made good sense to continue evangelizing the Asian peninsula. Paul had a logical plan, but God had a divine plan – a different plan. Often logical plans and divine plans coincide, but not in this case. We must always be open to the possibility of God leading us “outside the box” of our logic.
The Scripture says that “they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (16:7). I wish we had more information but suffice it to say that Paul and his friends were listening to the Spirit. The Spirit said “No” but didn’t give them an alternative plan, so they headed to the nearest port city of Troas. It was at Troas that “Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’” (16:9).
Notice that Paul and his friends didn’t just stand still and do nothing after getting a closed door to Bithynia. They kept moving and headed in the next logical direction. The key to following God is to first of all stop going in the direction we definitely know NOT to go. We don’t have to know the next step. In fact, we often don’t know what God wants us to do until we stop doing what we know He doesn’t want us to do. I remember when I knew God was leading me out of teaching at Nekoosa High School. It didn’t make sense to give up all that security and step into the “unknown” but I’m so glad I did. There is nothing as exciting and rewarding as following God’s leading.
Perhaps you find yourself stuck. You KNOW God wants you to stop what you are doing and go another direction but you are afraid to let go of the security of your own plans. I urge you, LET GO AND LET GOD control your decisions. You’ll never be disappointed and you will never have to say, “If only I had followed God’s voice.”
Paul’s obedience led him to open the first missionary work in what we know today as Europe. Most of the Epistles in the Scriptures are written to these churches.
Join me tomorrow as we talk about Paul’s and Silas’ prison ministry (Acts 16:16-40).
Jim Mathias
