Acts 16:1-10 Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
16 Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, 3 so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.
Remember the city of Lystra, where Jewish religious leaders stirred up the rabble so that they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, leaving him for dead? Remember how Paul refused to shake the dust of Lystra off his shoes and later returned to strengthen and encourage local believers? Now Paul is returning to Lystra, where God has a new disciple waiting for Paul, one who will become as close as a son. Timothy’s mother is a Jewish believer while his father is Greek. We know nothing about Timothy’s father; perhaps he has already died before his wife has become a Christian. All we know is that Timothy is a fervent follower of Jesus Christ. Paul has Timothy circumcised so that Timothy and he won’t have to fight Jewish prejudices in the future. As soon as Timothy heals from the circumcision, Paul and Silas and Timothy begin traveling throughout the area, strengthening and encouraging the churches.
We read the fact that Timothy is from Lystra and it doesn’t mean much to us. But think about the disaster had Paul completely turned his back on that city. What if Paul had refused to return to Lystra after he had been stoned? What if Paul had refused to return to Lystra later? Paul and Timothy might never have met, and the church as a whole would have lost a vibrant young leader. In the Jewish scholastic tradition, rabbis would take young students as pupils and would then train them, not only academically but also socially, so that these young men would copy the lifestyle of the rabbis training them. Such training is precisely what Paul is doing with Timothy. If the church is to grow, older believers must encourage and develop new leadership. Now Paul is mentoring Timothy. For the moment, Timothy remains in the Lystra area while Paul and Silas move on to other places.
A Call from Macedonia
6 Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. 8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.
Psalm 37:23 tells us that “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” Someone else has observed that not only are the STEPS of a good man ordered by the Lord but also the STOPS. It is as important that we not blunder off uselessly as it is that we follow God’s leading. Why does the Holy Spirit prevent Paul and Silas from entering Asia or Bythinia? We don’t know; however, God knows the situation in the two territories at that time. Perhaps there are local conflicts exploding, or drought and famine. Perhaps local politicians would force Paul and Silas to leave before they could even begin preaching. Perhaps weather conditions or armed bandits threaten their safety. All we know is that Paul and Silas are willing to go wherever God leads them and God is refusing to lead them to the Provinces of Asia or Bithynia. When Paul prays for guidance, none is forthcoming. It seems that Paul and Silas are stuck with no clear direction as to where to head next. But God always has a perfect plan, and He is about to reveal His will to Paul.
The Macedonian Call
9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.
Paul has a dream in which a man from Macedonia cries for help. Evidently, Paul knows this man is from Macedonia by his dress or his manner of speech or simply by the power of the Holy Spirit. At any rate, Paul is relieved, for obviously God is sending the ministry team to Macedonia. Notice something else as well: Paul doesn’t question the Lord or delay for further guidance. God has ordered Paul and Silas to go to Macedonia, so they are going, firm in the belief that more guidance will be given as they require it.
It’s a funny thing about divine guidance. The longer we move by the Holy Spirit, the less information we receive. As we mature in our walk with God, we trust Him more and more, realizing that if we were to know the entire plan from the beginning, we might try to fix it. This morning, I saw a mention of the Burnhams, a missionary family who thought they were simply going on a vacation in the Philippines. Unfortunately, the family was captured by Islamic militants. Gracia Burnham and her children were rescued; however, their husband and father was killed. Since then, Gracia has written about their ordeal, her testimony serving as an encouragement to many others suffering in various ways. Had this family known what was going to happen ahead of time, they would have remained in their area of ministry. But God did not warn them ahead of time; instead, He gave them the strength and courage and faith to endure.
God does not write Hallmark movie sagas. Sometimes very bad things happen to good people. Nigerian Christians are being slaughtered in their churches. Even a Christian evangelist in New York is now in hospital recovering from wounds received at the hands of angry attackers. So Paul and Silas get on a boat headed for Macedonia, unsure of what will happen, but secure in the belief that God is sending them there for His purposes.
May we all trust God, so that when He suddenly changes our directions, we will obey instantly without questioning or complaining.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust and obey, especially when we don’t understand what You are doing. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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