Acts 16:1-12
Have you ever prayed about a situation and felt confident of God’s will, only to discover that what you thought would happen didn’t come to pass?
On Paul’s second missionary journey, he and Silas had an experience like that. After originally intending to visit previous church plants, they instead decided to move into new territory with the gospel. But the Holy Spirit stopped them from going into Asia. So they went to Mysia with the intention of heading east to Bithynia. Yet once again the Holy Spirit closed the door.
At that point, they may have wondered why God would prevent them from preaching the gospel. After all, hadn’t Jesus commissioned all believers to share their faith (Matt. 28:19-20)? The answer came to Paul in a dream as the Lord redirected them to Greece—a nation with great metropolitan cities. From there, the gospel could spread rapidly, and eventually Paul circled around to Ephesus, bringing the gospel to Asia. By the time John wrote Revelation, there were at least seven churches on that continent.
God often uses closed doors to redirect us into His perfect will and timing. Therefore, the wisest response is to rely on His infinite wisdom, wait for His clear direction, and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We simply need to trust and obey.
Bible in One Year: Titus 1-3, Philemon 1
