GetWisdom PaperturnSampler FINAL SinglePages - Flipbook - Page 90
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LIVING FOR WHAT REALLY MATTERS
As Paul headed out on his second missionary journey, he planned
to take the gospel to Asia. But in Acts 16, we learn that God put a
big red light on Paul’s plan—because He had bigger and better plans:
They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of
Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province, but
the Holy Spirit blocked that route. So they went to Mysia
and tried to go north to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus
wouldn’t let them go there either. Proceeding on through
Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas.
9-10
That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood
on the far shore and called across the sea, “Come over to
Macedonia and help us!” The dream gave Paul his map. We
went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to
Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now
for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to
the Europeans.
6-8
ACTS 16:6-10,
msg
Did you notice verse 6 says the Holy Spirit “blocked” that route?
The Greek word used here is κωλω (pronounced kly) and literally
means “to hinder, prevent, forbid,” “to withhold a thing,” “to deny
or refuse one a thing.”9 I don’t know how they understood God
was blocking them. Perhaps they weren’t allowed entrance, or maybe
something in their gut told them not to proceed. Whatever the case,
God didn’t want them in Asia at this point, and in a vivid dream, He
directed Paul somewhere else.
God has certainly blocked my way many times before. In my
book Beautifully Interrupted, I wrote about how the life I live now
is not the one I thought I wanted. My plan was to get a doctorate
in art history, move to Europe, work as a curator at some fantastic
museum . . . and kids? They weren’t in my five-year, ten-year, or really
any-year plan.
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