“After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.” – Acts 16:7-12 KJV

Have you ever tried to do something that you believed was the Lord’s will, but discovered that He wanted you to do something else instead? That was certainly the case with Paul and his companions who tried to go into Bithynia but were not permitted by the Spirit because the Lord wanted them to go to Macedonia instead. Of course, being the man of God that he was, Paul “immediately” set out to go to Macedonia, as that is where He knew God wanted him to preach the gospel. And thus Paul eventually made his way to Philippi. I appreciate how the Bible informs us that they ‘immediately’ left for Macedonia at the promptings of the Spirit. To have such faith as to follow God without question is certainly commendable. For it was likely that they had felt that it was God’s will to go to Bithynia at first. After all, they were on a mission to do the work of God. But they were also on a mission to listen for His instructions too! That is, they wouldn’t let their feelings hinder them from seeking to fulfill the will of God; they were open to make changes where necessary, but only where God wanted to change things.

I would dare say that most of us don’t live like this. Not all of the time anyway. For all too often we want to know the details before going anywhere; and it isn’t so easy for us to change our plans either, especially when we’ve already set our hearts on doing something. Sometimes it is as though we give the impression that we really don’t believe that God knows what He’s doing or that He knows what’s best for us, as we seem to spend more time asking questions than we do listening for answers. It would do us all well to exemplify the example of Paul and his companions by following God without hesitation whenever He leads. Moreover we should never assume that just because we are seeking to do a godly work that we are where He wants us to be at that moment. For if God would have us to do that work someplace else instead then how could we ever be as effective doing it if we aren’t where He can most effectively use us? Now that’s not to suggest that God can’t use us wherever we are; it just simply means that it is better for us to go where He leads than it is for us to assume that we are where He wants us to be when He really wants us to be somewhere else. For by going where He leads our efforts will be more fruitful.

With that said, have you taken your plans to God for His approval? Are you really listening to the Spirit? There is no doubt that many faithful Christians have a desire to serve God; but all too often people seek to serve Him in a capacity that He hasn’t called them to enter into. And thus they assume their plans to be His plans for them when He would rather that they do something else instead. Indeed, it is vital for us to seek God in everything. We should never assume to know His will without asking Him to reveal it to us first. And when He reveals His will to us we shouldn’t let anything keep us from carrying it out. Like Paul and his companions, we should be eager to step out in faith without hesitation, and embrace God’s plans for us. For there is no better place to be than in God’s will, and no greater work to carry out than that which has been ordered by Him.