Acts 16:6-10
We have our ideas, and then there are God's plans. Proverbs 19:21 states:
“You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” Twice, it seems, Paul and Silas attempted to go into the province of Asia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit. For reasons unknown to them, the Holy Spirit was giving them a "check" in their spirits. It is important to listen to that inner voice—the Holy Spirit—when He speaks. How many times have we pushed through those warnings only to experience exactly what the Holy Spirit was trying to prevent? Then we say things like, "Gosh, I had a feeling not to do that!"
It is important to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. He is like a seeing-eye dog guiding someone who is blind. We do not know the future, but He does. Life can be a bit of trial and error anyway, so why make it any more difficult on ourselves than it has to be?
Some people enjoy the surprise of adventure—having no plan and simply seeing where they end up. Yet when I read the Scriptures, it is clear that there is a reason for our presence here, and that reason is found in God. He has plans for each of us, and our lives will be woefully unfulfilled if we fail to pursue the purpose for which He created us.
Consider the regret expressed in Proverbs 5:12-14:
“You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.””
God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Ultimately, it comes down to whom we trust to lead us through life. We only pass this way once, and every decision either moves us closer to God's purpose or farther from it. The Holy Spirit is not trying to restrict us—He is trying to direct us. Every prompting, every warning, and every nudge is evidence of a loving Father who sees what we cannot. The safest, wisest, and most fulfilling place to be is in the center of His will.
“You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” Twice, it seems, Paul and Silas attempted to go into the province of Asia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit. For reasons unknown to them, the Holy Spirit was giving them a "check" in their spirits. It is important to listen to that inner voice—the Holy Spirit—when He speaks. How many times have we pushed through those warnings only to experience exactly what the Holy Spirit was trying to prevent? Then we say things like, "Gosh, I had a feeling not to do that!"
It is important to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. He is like a seeing-eye dog guiding someone who is blind. We do not know the future, but He does. Life can be a bit of trial and error anyway, so why make it any more difficult on ourselves than it has to be?
Some people enjoy the surprise of adventure—having no plan and simply seeing where they end up. Yet when I read the Scriptures, it is clear that there is a reason for our presence here, and that reason is found in God. He has plans for each of us, and our lives will be woefully unfulfilled if we fail to pursue the purpose for which He created us.
Consider the regret expressed in Proverbs 5:12-14:
“You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.””
God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Ultimately, it comes down to whom we trust to lead us through life. We only pass this way once, and every decision either moves us closer to God's purpose or farther from it. The Holy Spirit is not trying to restrict us—He is trying to direct us. Every prompting, every warning, and every nudge is evidence of a loving Father who sees what we cannot. The safest, wisest, and most fulfilling place to be is in the center of His will.
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