I wasn’t just disappointed—I felt utterly discouraged. I’d felt so sure I was responding to God’s guidance in pursuing this project but had been rejected with my first knock on the door. Bewildered, I abandoned my desk to focus on God’s presence and pour out my confusion. While waiting for God’s response, Acts 16 came to mind. I soon became convinced that God was guiding me to keep moving, just as Paul and his companions did after the Holy Spirit had twice stopped them from entering Asia. Peace ensued.
We don’t hear of Paul’s plans for this missionary trip, but what is clear is that God overruled its direction: the Holy Spirit “kept” him and his colleagues from preaching the word in Asia (Acts 16:6) and “would not allow them” to enter Bithynia (v. 7). But Paul kept pursuing God’s purpose for him to preach the gospel, and as he reached the Aegean coast, “[he] had a vision of a man of Macedonia” (v. 9). God wasn’t leading him east, but rather north into the Greek world.
Grasping God’s prompt to keep moving, I asked Him to clarify His purpose for my project. In time, He led me to my own “Macedonia”. God directs each of us as we pursue His will. But if we take a wrong turn, we can be encouraged that if we remain open, available and attentive, He will redirect us.
By Anne Le Tissier
REFLECT & PRAY
In what ways do you feel discouraged by what appears to be an obstacle in pursuing God’s calling or leading? How might you keep your heart open to God’s direction if it is different from what you were expecting?
Loving God, please show me where or with whom You are calling me to share Your love and truth. If You’re taking me in new directions, I open my heart and mind to follow Your leading.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
On his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1–18:22), Paul wanted to preach the gospel in the provinces of Asia Minor (modern-day western Turkey) and Bithynia (modern-day northern Turkey); however, God redirected Paul northwest to Troas. Through “a vision of a man of Macedonia” God called Paul to bring the gospel into Europe (16:8–9). The identity of the “man of Macedonia” is much debated. Because the pronoun “they” in verse 8 changes to “we” in verse 10, some scholars say this man is Luke himself who has now joined the mission team. Luke, a gentile medical doctor (Colossians 4:14), wrote the gospel of Luke and Acts and became Paul’s traveling companion and co-worker (Acts 16:10–40, 20:4–17, Philemon 1:24). He also took care of Paul during his last days in prison before his death (2 Timothy 4:11).
K. T. Sim
Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.
