Do you allow God to lead you? When Paul set out on his second missionary journey, he had an intention to move into Asia or Bithynia, but he and his traveling companions were not allowed by the Spirit of Jesus to speak in the areas they intended to go. You might imagine that they were a bit frustrated and confused. They were seeking to serve the Lord and thought they were acting in accordance with his will, but God was throwing up road blocks instead of open doors.
Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke, had a plan, but God had different intentions. If you have ever been on a mission trip, you have learned that God often has different plans for your when you arrive than you anticipated. But, how can you make yourself more open to God’s leadership?
Plan Your Work
Just because God may change your plans is no excuse to be lazy. Paul and his mission team were not just sitting around twiddling their thumbs and hoping God would give them something to do. They were busy serving the Lord to the best of their ability. God’s plans were different, but in his sovereign will, God still worked within the plans of Paul. Paul’s second missionary journey took him on a reverse route from his first. As a result of that reverse route, the team was perfectly positioned to move toward Macedonia.
Remember, it is better for God to turn you around than to have to get you going.
Pray Your Plan
Following God’s leadership requires enough humility to change your mind and change your direction. Prayer opens to door for God to continue to adjust your plans. Do you want to be open to change? Daily quiet times create opportunities for you to seek God’s will and direction regularly. Through those times of personal devotion, God can (and often will) work to bring clarification or even a change of direction in your own ministry. Make a plan, but do not cease to pray.
Work God’s Plan
Paul’s team must have felt very unsettled when they were stopped from preaching the gospel in Asia and Bithynia. But, that unsettledness ended when God made his will known. Luke records in Acts 16:10, “And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
When you know God’s plan, the time for waiting is over. When God says go, you pray on the way.
But, notice that God’s plan was understood and agreed upon by the entire team. As you seek God’s will, involve other faithful believers and trust that if God has a plan to reveal to you, he will share it with others as well.
Trust God’s Plan
Without a doubt, these early missionaries must have wondered why God would forbid them from preaching the gospel in Asia. Didn’t the people in Asia need Jesus as well?
We know from reading the rest of the Bible, that the people in Asia not only needed the gospel, but they got the gospel. John’s Revelation includes seven letters to seven churches in Asia minor. God sent Paul to Macedonia, but he didn’t need Paul in Asia.
Trust God’s plan for your life. He may send you to Macedonia because he doesn’t need you in Asia. He may tell you to stay where you are because he doesn’t need you somewhere else. Whatever God leads you into, trust that his plan is always right, even when you can’t see or understand all of it yourself.
He is good. He is wise. You can trust him.
Photo by Jamie Templeton on Unsplash
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