Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 18-20
     New Testament Reading: Acts 16

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Passing by Mysia they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” (Acts 16: 6-9).

Many Christians tell God they will serve Him if He just shows them where to serve. As a result, they end up not doing much for God. Paul had a different approach. He said I’m going here to serve you Lord and stop me if you don’t want me to go there. Paul must have had a smashed nose. Paul would go one way and God closed the door. He would go another direction and God would close the door again and again.

Finally, when they reached Troas, God revealed His plan for Paul to go to Macedonia. And Luke writes, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia. Paul never wasted time. He was always ready to serve God.

God’s Word and God’s Will always go together. We can never know God’s will for our life if we are not daily reading and studying His Word. And we can be assured that God will never ask us to do something contrary to what He has written in Scripture.

The Psalmist wrote, Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path (Psalm 119:105). God’s Word is not a floodlight showing us the rest of our lives. It is a lamp showing us the next step. And when we take that step in faith, God will then reveal the next step He wants us to take.

Paul is a great example for all of us to follow in discerning God’s will for our lives. If we see a need, start serving God in that area. If God has other plans for you, He will close that door and stop you. Like Paul, it may take several tries, but if we continue to serve Him faithfully, God will lead us in the direction He wants us to go.

It is comforting to know that even the apostles were not always certain of God’s will for their ministries. In our life of faith, we don’t always know exactly where the Lord is leading us, and often we can only comprehend God’s plan after we have reached His destination for us. When we are obedient to God’s word, prayerfully submitting to Him, He will take us on a journey of faith, filled with meaningful service to Him.