Shut Doors

"And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them."
~Acts 16:6-10

Have you ever wanted to do something but no matter how hard you tried, it seemed as if everything that could go wrong did, and you wound up accomplishing nothing? I'm an idea person. I have a million ideas a day. In fact, I begin sentences with, "I have an idea..." so often, my husband cringes! 

I imagine my tombstone will read:
          Marie "I Have An Idea" McGaha

I have a lot of good ideas. But sometimes, my ideas sound better in my head than when I actually say them. And sometimes, my good ideas don't turn out like I planned. And sometimes, even my good ideas fall flat. It's discouraging but it also makes me stop and consider why a good idea failed.

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord when he delights in His way (Psalm 37:23)."

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6)."

As in the above verse from the Book of Acts, Paul attempted to go to certain areas and preach the gospel, but he was stopped by the Lord. We aren't told why he was kept from going to the other places, but we see how Paul's footsteps were directed by the Lord to Macedonia instead. Paul could have been stubborn, refused to heed God's direction and gone to his original destination. But what might the outcome have been?

Have you tried to do something you wanted to do in spite of warnings from friends or family? I imagine if Paul had gone his own way, there's a number of things that could've befallen him. He could've been attacked for preaching the gospel; imprisoned, or killed. In Paul's day, preaching the Messiah to Jewish believers wasn't always well received.

Not every idea is good for us. Not every plan is going to work out. We must pray and seek godly counsel before we jump into anything, no matter how great we think it will turn out. God shuts doors for a reason, and even though we may not understand why, we can be assured it's always for our good and His glory.

"All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up (1 Corinthians 10:23)."

Read 
Numbers 26:35-29
1 Chronicles 7:20-29

Weekend reading: 
Numbers 30-33

A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018