God says No 神说“不”
Dexu Xia
They tried to enter Bithenia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.(Acts 16:7)
Today's Scripture Acts 16:6-10
Today's Insights In Acts 16:6-7, it’s unclear how the Holy Spirit stopped Paul from moving forward with his plans. It may have been through a vision, a word of prophecy, or some other circumstance. When God prompted him to go to Macedonia so the gospel could be heard there, we’re told He spoke to him through a vision (vv. 9-10). Scripture doesn’t reveal the identity of the “man of Macedonia” (v. 9), but some scholars believe it may have been Luke, who wrote the book of Acts and joined the group at this point. As believers in Jesus, when God seems to close a door, it may be that the Holy Spirit is redirecting our plans to better align with His. The Spirit of God lives inside us to guide us. Christ said of the Spirit, “He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears” (John 16:13; see 14:26).
Today's Devotion After a lengthy journey, my wife and I finally neared our street, but a large road closed to thru traffic sign blocked our path. I felt the urge to drive around it because home was just ahead, and I didn’t like being rerouted. But then I saw why the road was closed: A downed power line lay across the road. Had I ignored the warning, I could have driven into danger.
In Acts 16:6-10, Paul and his companions were eager to preach the gospel in the province of Asia, but the Holy Spirit closed that door. Detours aren’t always rejection, however. They can be divine redirections. Like the roadblock on our street, God rerouted Paul from entering the province of Bithynia. It must have been frustrating to be blocked, especially while Paul was striving to do his best. But then he received a vision in which a man said, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (v. 9). God said “no” to something good because He was preparing them for something else—taking the gospel to the people of another continent (v. 10).
Rather than seeing “no” as punishment and rejection, we can see it as His Spirit-led redirection. His detours are often pathways to divine appointments. Let’s not simply trust His direction when the roads are open; let’s follow when He closes them too.
Reflect & Pray
When has God placed a “road closed” sign in front of you as you were striving to do something good? How are you listening for the Spirit’s guidance as you work out your plans? Dear God, please help me to trust Your closed doors as much as I trust Your open ones.
“他们想要往庇推尼去，但耶稣的灵却不许。（使徒行传 16:7）
今日经文：使徒行传 16:6-10
今日洞见：在使徒行传 16:6-7 中，我们并不清楚圣灵是如何阻止保罗继续他的计划的。这可能是通过异象、预言或其他某种情况。当神感动保罗前往马其顿，以便在那里传扬福音时，经文告诉我们，神通过异象向他显现（9-10 节）。圣经没有揭示“马其顿人”（9 节）的身份，但一些学者认为他可能是路加，也就是使徒行传的作者，他当时加入了保罗的队伍。作为耶稣的信徒，当神似乎关上一扇门时，可能是圣灵正在引导我们的计划，使之更好地与祂的旨意相符。神的灵住在我们里面，引导我们。基督论到圣灵说：“他要引导你们明白一切的真理；因为他不是凭自己说的，乃是把他所听见的都说出来。”（约翰福音 16:13；另见 14:26）
今日灵修：经过漫长的旅程，我和妻子终于快到家门口了，但一个禁止通行的路牌挡住了我们的去路。我当时很想绕过这路牌，因为家就在前面，我不喜欢被绕路。但后来我明白了路被封的原因：一根断落的高压线横在路上。如果我无视警告，就可能遇到危险。
在使徒行传 16:6-10 中，保罗和他的同伴渴望在亚细亚省传福音，但圣灵关闭了那扇门。然而，绕路并不总是意味着拒绝。它们也可能是神的指引。就像我们家门口的路障一样，神也引导保罗避开庇推尼省。被阻拦一定令人沮丧，尤其是在保罗竭尽全力想到那里传福音的时候。但随后他得到一个异象，其中有人说：“请到马其顿来帮助我们”（9节）。神拒绝了一件好事，是因为祂正在预备他们去做另一件事，将福音传到另一个大陆的民众（10节）。 与其将“不”视为惩罚和拒绝，不如将其视为圣灵引导的指引。祂指示的绕路往往是通往神圣约会的道路。我们不仅要在道路畅通时信赖祂的指引，也要在祂关闭道路时跟随祂。
反思与祷告 当你努力行善时，神是否曾在你面前设置过“道路封闭”的标志？当你制定计划时，你如何聆听圣灵的引导？亲爱的神，请帮助我像信赖祢敞开的大门一样信赖祢关闭的大门。