Acts 16:6-10 (NIV)
Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Paul and the rest continued westward, preaching in the cities that they passed through. At one point, they decided to head due west, to go deeper into the province of Asia. But the Holy Spirit intervened and made them understand that going that way was not God’s plan for them at that time. So, they continued on the road to the northwest.
A while later, they reached a point where the road turned westward again, and there was a fork in the road that headed north into Bithynia on the south edge of the Black Sea. They thought seriously about taking the gospel to the people in the north, but again, they were warned off that route by the Spirit of Jesus. So, they continued to the west.
Finally, they arrived at Troas on the shore of the Aegean Sea. Now the were stuck. They had been pushed by the Holy Spirit further and further to the west, but all that was to their west now was water.
As they went to bed that night, they were all praying for guidance. They didn’t feel led to go back the way that they had come, but they hadn’t received instructions for the path forward either.
In the middle of the night, Paul saw the vision of a Macedonian man pleading with him to come and help them. This was the guidance they had been waiting for! Macedonia was northwest of them across the Aegean, just to the north of Greece. And by the vision, Paul knew that somewhere in Macedonia was where they were headed.
Even though it was the middle of the night, Paul woke everyone and shared the vision with them. And they all got up and started packing, intending to find a way to get to Macedonia as soon as it was light.
Paul serves to illustrate the way to follow God’s guidance. At each juncture, he didn’t reason out the best course of action. Instead, like Jesus Himself, he sought wisdom and guidance from God. Then, no matter what guidance he received, even if it seemed counterintuitive, he followed it to the letter, confident that God’s plan would be successful.
Father, this really is good instruction for us. All too often we make plans for advancing Your kingdom based on our own intellect or ideas, and then execute them on our own. We only seek You if our plans don’t seem to be working, or if we end up in trouble. Of course, after we have built our plans based on what we believe should be done or on what we want, we often ask You to bless them and to help us succeed. But You already have a plan You are pursuing. You already have a way for us to work in accomplishing that plan. Forgive me, Lord, for all the times I have pursued my own goals and plans and have put Your goals on the back burner, if I consider them at all. Forgive me for all the times I have proceeded on the basis of my own wisdom and understanding instead of waiting patiently for the guidance of Your Spirit. And help me to do better from this moment forward. Amen.
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