Going to Macedonia – Day 2

From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us. - Acts 16:11-15


Put yourself in Paul’s shoes. All he wanted to do was tell people about Jesus. He even had a personal encounter with Jesus who told him to do just that. But for some reason, God wouldn’t let Paul preach in the province of Asia. Paul had the right motive and the right mission, so what was the problem? Sometimes God’s will just doesn’t make sense to us. Sometimes God will ask us to forego something we really want, even when it’s a godly request. This doesn’t mean that God is angry or that what you requested is wrong. It just means God has a better plan in mind. We have to learn to trust God even when it doesn’t make sense to us.

Has God even denied a request you thought was godly?

How did you respond?

Ask God to give you the faith to obey even when the reasons aren’t apparent.