I was reading Acts 16 which describes the evangelization of Europe. Initially, Paul was “prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia.” [Acts 16:6b HCSB]
He then “tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” [vs 7b]
Finally, in a night vision Paul saw a Macedonian man pleading with him to cross into Macedonia. After that vision, Paul and his companions “set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.” [vs 10b]
The first convert in Europe was a woman named Lydia in Philippi, who invited them to stay in her house. Then Paul cast out a demon from a slave girl and ended up in trouble with her owners, was dragged into the marketplace and accused of disturbing the city – an unacceptable event in a Roman colony. Eventually, Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and thrown into a jail, which led to the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his entire household.
As I was reading about those events it struck me that Paul was directly in the will of God.
He had followed God’s leading in his missionary journey, gone where God wanted him to go, and ended up being accused, beaten, and thrown into jail.
Joseph, in the Old Testament had a similar experience. He concluded, “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.” [Genesis 50:20 HCSB]
We can be in the center of the will of God and still have trouble. Interesting.
