We were so excited to move from our small home to a larger home that would accommodate our growing family.  We had worked with builder who allowed us to choose the color schemes of our new home.  The purchase, however, was contingent on selling the home we had.  No problem, we had a buyer.  However, as our new home was near completion, we drove over to check out the progress and had a moment.  Randy and I walked in and both of us said, “this isn’t our home.”  We couldn’t explain it but felt it in our hearts and souls. 

The next day we found out our buyer had backed out and we were back to square one.  Another buyer for the new house we planned to live in offered a higher bid and because we no longer had a buyer, our new home was sold to someone else.  In one week, it was a roller coaster of emotions.  But we knew that was not our home.  We trusted God for His best.

Later that same week, the builder told us he had another completed home around the corner that was available.  He also told us he would wait for our home to sell.  We went the next day and looked it over and knew this was the right place for our family.  We made an offer that was accepted and we sold our home in the same week!  God’s timing.  God’s best. God’s will, His way. 

Who knew but God that we would move next to a couple who needed a Savior and a church to love them—which we readily could point them to and tell them about.  We became life-long friends.  We were there at the birth of their two children who are now grown and have lives of their own.  They helped us with our three children in their different stages of life.  God knew. God’s will. God’s best. Thought both of us have moved on from that area, we are still great friends.

We pray, we plan, and sometimes we wait.  Sometimes the plan is not at all what God wants, so he closes doors.  God knows, always knows, what is best for us and what will help those around us know Him more.  We pray—God works.   That’s how it’s always been and always will be. 

In the wait, remember; God is for us, not against us.  Trusts Him.  God knows what we need when we need it most.  We might plan what is good, but God decides what is best.  I am thankful for the times in my life when after seeking His will; God blocked my will for His best. God loves to pour out His best to His children with “more than we ask or imagine” as it will affect our lives as well as the lives around us who needed to know Him! 

Paul has a mission plan—complete with a map!  As he sleeps on his plan, God changes his mind and direction.  In obedience to God’s Holy Spirit, Paul traveled to Macedonia to preach Jesus to hungry hearts in need of a Savior.  He probably would have done good things with his plan but accomplished greater things with God in the lead.  God’s timing, His will, His way is always best.

Acts 16, The Message

A Dream Gave Paul His Map

^1-3 Paul came first to Derbe, then Lystra. He found a disciple there by the name of Timothy, son of a devout Jewish mother and Greek father. Friends in Lystra and Iconium all said what a fine young man he was. Paul wanted to recruit him for their mission, but first took him aside and circumcised him so he wouldn’t offend the Jews who lived in those parts. They all knew that his father was Greek.

^4-5 As they traveled from town to town, they presented the simple guidelines the Jerusalem apostles and leaders had come up with. That turned out to be most helpful. Day after day the congregations became stronger in faith and larger in size.

^6-8 They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province, but the Holy Spirit blocked that route. So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t let them go there either. Proceeding on through Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas.

^9-10 That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans.

^11-12 Putting out from the harbor at Troas, we made a straight run for Samothrace. The next day we tied up at New City and walked from there to Philippi, the main city in that part of Macedonia and, even more importantly, a Roman colony. We lingered there several days.

^13-14 On the Sabbath, we left the city and went down along the river where we had heard there was to be a prayer meeting. We took our place with the women who had gathered there and talked with them. One woman, Lydia, was from Thyatira and a dealer in expensive textiles, known to be a God-fearing woman. As she listened with intensity to what was being said, the Master gave her a trusting heart—and she believed!

¹⁵ After she was baptized, along with everyone in her household, she said in a surge of hospitality, “If you’re confident that I’m in this with you and believe in the Master truly, come home with me and be my guests.”We hesitated, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

There’s a call comes ringing o’er the restless wave, “Send the light! Send the light”
There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save,
Send the light! Send the light!

Send the light, the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!

We have heard the Macedonian call today,”Send the light! Send the light!”…

This ancient hymn, “Send The Light” was written by Charles H. Gabriel and first published and made popular in 1891, especially among missionary endeavors. Gabriel is known to have written over 7,000 hymns, including His Eye on Sparrow, I stand Amazed in the Presence, The Way of the Cross, Higher Ground. 

His hymn is based on our scripture telling about Paul’s dream from God to change direction and go to Macedonia instead.

By following God’s plan, Paul and now Timothy is protégé met a beautiful soul named Lydia who was given “a trusting heart” for the Master.  We are also impressed with her “surge of hospitality” given to her by God after she was baptized!  She then gave them a place to stay in their journey.  We can be sure they became life-long friends!

PAUSE TO PRAY THE “ASK” WAY—By Jeremy Myers

Jesus taught us to be answers to our own prayers when, in the Sermon on the Mount, He told His disciples, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

When reading Matthew 7:7-8, most people think that Jesus was saying the same thing three different times: pray, and your prayer will get answered. In other words they read “Ask, seek, knock” as “Pray, pray, and pray again”.  But there may be a better way of understanding the words of Jesus.  Jesus is not simply telling His disciples to pray, but is giving them instructions on how to see answers to their own prayers.

Ask—

Jesus tells us to ask. This is the prayer part. It is taking our requests and needs to God, and presenting them before Him. It is not that He is unaware of our needs, for He knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8).  Just as we talk over the issues of our day with our spouse or friends, so also God wants us to communicate with Him about the issues and needs which are heavy on our hearts and minds. So, we ask Him about these things. This is the first step to prayer.

Seek—

But after we ask, we don’t simply keep asking. We must begin to seek. Seeking is when we look around for how God might answer our prayers. After we ask God for something, the next thing we must do is start looking around with eyes of faith for how God might be providing answers to the issues we discussed with Him.

Knock—

After we ask God to help us with our needs, and seek for possible ways that God might answer our requests, we must then step out in faith and knock on the doors that present themselves. When we ask, we ask with faith. When we seek, we seek possible answers with eyes of faith. And when we knock, we step out and take risks with faith by pursuing opportunities that were brought to our attention during the seeking phase.  Sometimes the first door we knock on is the one that opens, but this is usually not the case. Sometimes we have to knock on ten, fifty, even hundreds of doors. For this reason, the knocking phase is often the most difficult, but it is here that perseverance is vitally important if we are going to see answers to our prayers.  Praying is more than just asking God for things and then sitting around, waiting for Him to respond.

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Praying, then, is communion, connection, along with rich conversation with God as we grow in our relationship with Him.  Jesus provided The Way for this to happen.  We now have the privilege to approach the throne of God boldly and make our request known to Him.  (Hebrews 4:16) 

God calls us Friend as well as Family.  This relationship is forever for those who believe and call on the Name of Jesus!

Lord,

Thank you for your protection, provision, as well as your constant communication with us.  Thank you for always being with us, guiding our steps.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen