Follow-up to August 7th Teaching

Sunday follow-up
Acts 16:  “God’s plans”

At the end of chapter 15 of Acts Paul heads out on his second missionary trip. The initial plan for the trip was to stop at some of the previous places they had visited on the first trip including Lystra and Derbe. Afterward, Paul would continue the trip by visiting places they had not been to yet.

Paul continues his trip by traveling through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia. At some point, Paul made plans to travel through Asia with a likely destination of Ephesus. But the Holy Spirit did not permit him to go there. So, Paul then heads to the border of Mysia where he makes plans to go to the region of Bithynia. Once again he is not permitted to go there.
Two times Paul makes plans only to have God change those plans by redirecting his steps. Paul eventually comes to the city of Troas where God reveals his direction for Paul and those who were with him. Notice though it wasn’t until Paul came to Troas that God revealed where he wanted Paul to go. Paul wasn’t told from the start where God was leading him. God directed his steps along the way.

Part of God’s plan for your life is to change your plans. There will be times when God changes your plans by redirecting you to where He wants you to be. Sometimes it won’t be until you take the initial step that God gives you the next step. Know this, when God changes your plans, there is a work that God wants to do in you and through you.

Paul eventually makes his way to the city of Philippi where he meets a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira. He shares the Gospel with her and she becomes a follower of Jesus. By redirecting his steps, Paul ends up in the right place at the right time to lead a woman from Thyatira to Jesus. You might say “so what?” Well, one of the 7 letters written to the 7 churches in the book of Revelation was written to the church in Thyatira. Who did God initially use to bring the Gospel to this city? Could it have been Lydia? If so, then Paul’s divine appointment with Lydia goes beyond just her salvation. It would reach all those whom Lydia would share Jesus with. Had God not redirected Paul’s steps to Philippi, who knows if there would have been a church in Thyatira.

Sometimes God changes our plans because of the divine appointments He has planned for us. Instead of being upset that your plans were changed, embrace that change because it may very well have been God who changed your plans so that you will be in a position to share Jesus with certain individuals.

While in Philippi, Paul and Silas are beaten with rods and thrown into prison. Instead of gripping and complaining about their situation, they sing songs of praise and worship their Savior. While singing and praising God, the prison is hit by a great earthquake that caused all the prison doors to open and the chains to come loose. With an opportunity to escape, all the prisoners choose to stay. Not a single prisoner fled. Why?

I believe all the prisoners, as did the jailer, received Jesus as their Savior as a result of hearing Paul’s and Silas’ proclamation of the Gospel and how they responded to their circumstances. Sometimes God changes our plans so that we align ourselves with his plans for our lives. One thing you can be certain of is that God’s plans are always good. But sometimes those plans include us going through trying times. How you respond in those moments can be the difference between some becoming followers of Jesus or believing that Christians handle difficulties just like everyone else does and thus seeing no need for Jesus.

As you head out into your week, be open to however God may want to change your plans. When he changes your plans, be on the lookout for divine appointments. If you find yourself going through a difficult week. Instead of gripping and complaining, choose to praise and worship your Savior and watch how God uses your response in the lives of others.