Acts 16:7 (KJV)
After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
In verse 6, they were “forbidden of the Holy Ghost.” In this verse, “the Spirit suffered them not.” I believe these are two ways of expressing the same thing. Though they did not yet know what the will of the Lord was, they did know what the will of the Lord was not.
Sometimes, that’s more important than the other.
Sometimes, our flesh wants to serve God so strongly that we end up serving God in the flesh rather than in the Spirit.
Knowing the mind and will of God is a difficult matter to discern. I think we are easily led astray in this. We have come to believe that if we want something, it must be the will of the Lord. But I believe we learn from David how to discern God's will: through the Bible, through the preacher, and through the house of the Lord. Paul was not in a place to hear from his church. Certainly, he would have been sensitive to the others in his team, but outside of that, how would he have known?
I can say that in my ministry, there have been times when I was absolutely certain I was not supposed to do something, go to a certain place, or move in a particular direction. Interestingly, there were often Christians pushing me to do exactly what I was sure I shouldn’t do. I know the flesh can be fearful and hesitant to enter into difficult things. But I also know that if a thing is truly of the Lord, He makes us willing.
Consider the issue of desiring the office of a bishop. It’s a good work, but the qualifications are more exclusive than permissive. In other words, the Bible gives reasons why a person should not be a bishop. Many will desire the office, but these qualifications provide the reasons they should not pursue it.
When it comes to these things, our problem is usually not hesitation but rather getting ahead of the Lord. It’s a good idea to wait on the Lord until you may “assuredly gather that the Lord” has called us to the thing.
#SpiritLed #GodsWill #WaitOnTheLord #Discernment #WalkingInTheSpirit
Serving God in the Spirit, Not the Flesh: God’s Will vs. Our Desires
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