The young woman was crying on the phone. Her parents expected a visit later that morning, but she would never arrive. It was a bad weather day, and her flights were all grounded. The woman’s tears made it clear to her folks that none of this was due to her poor planning. She wanted more than anything to visit them. The young woman had prepared for weeks, but her trip came to an unfortunate end before it even began.
Can you sense the frustration? When were your special plans regrettably “grounded”? Maybe a family reunion would happen, but without you. There may have been a good friend of yours who’d finally met “the one,” but her mom broke her leg that same day.
The apostle Paul planned to visit places and preach Jesus’ gospel where many had not heard His name. Paul’s heart was in the right place, but good plans don’t always go as we want.
The Bible says, “The mind of a person plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs16:9).
Think about this: You were on your way to visit a relative. Then a flat tire, or road construction, or serious car trouble prevented you from getting there. It can happen!
A couple was delayed driving home. Not far along their route, a serious car wreck blocked the road. It had happened only seconds earlier, as other drivers were now offering comfort to one victim. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol hadn’t yet arrived! Did God prevent that couple from being personally involved? Possibly, but most people don’t see life’s circumstances that way. God’s providence is real!
Paul’s travel plans were thwarted when “they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them…” (Acts 16:6-8). Paul was flexible in his plans, but he may never have known why he didn't get there. Did he blame God? No!
It may be an unanswerable question, “Why did You allow this, Lord?” Paul knew that God was with him, but for reasons known only to God, his travel plans were frustrated. He knew that his life was always in the Lord’s hands. Is that how you see life?
Having frustrations in life are, at any given moment, only a split second.
Paul’s ship went down, and his life was in serious peril, but where was the Lord? When you have a safe trip and arrive, thank the Lord for getting there!
How would you describe your life?