February 9, 2011

Reading for February 7-11
Acts 18
Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey

Sticking It Out, Part Two

The Lord spoke to Paul in a dream . . . “No matter what happens, I'm with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you. You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city." That was all he needed to stick it out. Acts 18:10-11

God gives the guidance you need when you need it, not before and in not much detail

Pastor’s Reflections

Paul needed encouragement to stay in Corinth. For years he had been run out of the towns to which he brought the Gospel. He must have expected the same here. Not only that, but Paul was not a “stay put” kind of person.

But no, the Lord, told him to stay. He must stay put.

Visions in the New Testament are not normally granted just for the sake of it. The Lord used an unusual method to get His message through, yet without much detail. God gave him the guidance he needed just when he needed it, not before, and, yes, without hardly any detail.

CS Lewis wrote that the present (not the future nor the past) is where eternity touches earth. At that intersection is where real life is encountered. Perhaps this is why God doesn’t tell us our immediate future. When we live in the future, we miss today. When we live today, in God’s guidance now, we get tomorrow thrown in.