We have heard a saying that when God closes a door, He will open a window, which means God often directs our steps by either closing or opening a way. The fact that we have prayed for direction does not necessarily mean that we will get the greenlights all the way.  No, there are times when God stop us or re-route our steps.  Paul went through that, not once but twice, in one trip.  Because he had been to the province of Asia, which is the modern-day Turkey, he planned to visit folks that he had won to Christ.  A straightforward plan that proved to be more complicated than he had expected. 

It was in Galatia that he first realized that the Holy Spirit might have a different plan for him.  It’s there that the Holy Spirit forbade him to go to Asia.  So, he decided to go to Bithynia, but as recorded by Dr. Luke in Acts 16, while he was in Mysia on his way to Bithynia, the Spirit of Jesus stopped him.  So, he turned and went to Troas; and it was there that Paul finally received a clear direction by means of a vision that he was to go to Macedonia, now in Greece. Philippi, a city in Macedonia, became the Gospel’s port of entry to Europe.

When I read this account, the question that popped in my head was, “Wouldn’t it be easier for Paul if God had given him a clear direction from the beginning?”  The answer is, of course, yes; at least he did not have to go around and around, wasting his time and energy.  But that is not the way God works, isn’t it?  There are times He lets us grope in the dark, wondering what He is doing and where He is taking us.  If we are in this situation today, we must feel restless.

At the end of the day, I’ve come to conclude that what is important is not getting there, but being here, with God.  We focus on result while God focuses on process.  Unbeknownst to us, process brings out results that God wants—patience, faithfulness, and strength.

Pastor Paul