I know the plans.... PAUL and GUIDANCE

'Well, obviously not this way....'

We've been challenged by God so much recently about Jeremiah 29:11 'I know the plans I have for you' says the Lord.... (see parallel 'sermons' blog and also below).
I got this article today from LICC which takes us a further step along the way...

Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us'. After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Phil.16:9-10

At a critical juncture in Paul's life, thwarted and unsure, he received an unambiguous vision. And so began the journey into Europe of the good news of Jesus.

Luke tells us that immediately before this, heading north towards the provinces bordering the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, Paul and his companions were 'hindered by the Spirit'. These few verses in Acts show us that guidance wasn't a simple matter for Paul. Only three times do we read that he had a vision. Often he was no doubt guided by common sense, as, in this same chapter, when, arriving in Philippi, they sought out the Jews by the river 'where they expected to find a place of prayer' (v.13).

When Paul set out on his first journey, the Spirit spoke to the church, not to him personally. So he and Barnabas were sent out ('by the Spirit') together. Perhaps the decision to go first to Cyprus was simply because that was where Barnabas came from. Later, a quarrel between the two of them resulted in their going off in different directions - and thus two evangelistic teams grew out of one.

Elsewhere, Paul describes himself as being stopped by Satan from going to Thessalonica (1 Thes.2:18); the visit to Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15 was not part of his plan, but was dictated by circumstances; his longed-for arrival in Rome was not according to his own agenda, but as a prisoner, under guard.

Most of us struggle with guidance, particularly when critical decisions have to be taken. Paul's experience shows us that there are no simple, formulaic solutions. So appropriating to oneself a single verse or example from scripture can be very unhelpful. Even more unhelpful is the friend who says, 'God guided me like this, so he will guide you in the same way'.

God had a purpose for Paul's life, but it wasn't a blueprint. Motivated by his calling, and his love of Christ, he constantly 'pressed towards the goal'. Sometimes his guidance was clear, sometimes not. Whether or not we have a clear calling, or explicit guidance, we, too, seek in everything to govern our lives by the principles of Christ.

thanks again to LICC (Helen Parry)