Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Acts chapter 16 verses 6 through 10:
6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ 10When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
Richard Rohr says God comes to us “disguised as our lives”.
In today’s Lesson Paul and his companions desire to travel east into the Roman province of Bithynia, the doorway to Asia. They are confident of their direction and set to go. But something prevents them from making the move. The door is shut. Instead they turn west. And as it ends up, the whole history of the church turns on that small yet fateful hinge.
Life’s roadblocks may be God’s plans in disguise. Where we think we are going and should go get changed. The door right in front of us closes tight; suddenly we have to look around and see what other doors might be open. Sometimes this means small changes. Sometimes everything changes. Sometimes, like Paul and his companions, we end up going west rather than east.
Paul was “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia”. Forbidden. Wow. That’s strong. Who knew that was in the Bible?
Asia was forbidden. Shut tighter than a clam with lockjaw, as I’ve heard it said. But Europe was open; it was inviting.
And they decided to give it a try . . .
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