Acts 13:4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
In Acts 13:2-4 we find where the Holy Spirit did two things. He called out Saul and Barnabas and He sent them out. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
This, my friends, is God’s Pattern for the growth of His Kingdom. It is the Work of God done by and through the Power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had already done the Work on the Cross and in doing so, became the subject matter that we know as the Gospel of Christ.
God had a Plan for that region and Saul and Barnabas were a big part of His Plan. God has Plans today as well, but in most cases, Christians do not wait for the Holy Spirit to move and call someone out. Actually, in many cases, Christians don’t even believe in the Holy Spirit at all. But for those who do, they rarely seek the leading of the Holy Spirit. Instead, they see the need and fill it themselves. This is not God’s Plan and usually ends up with a huge loss of money and oftentimes the lives of Christians.
Anyone who has read the New Testament knows that Paul wrote more than half of the Books which are actually letters to the various Churches He planted during his Missionary Work. God used him in a mighty way during that time because he was listening to the Voice and Leading of the Holy Spirit and then acting accordingly.
As Paul prayed and listened to the Voice of the Holy Spirit, doors of opportunity opened for him. On occasion, the Holy Spirit had him wait a while before entering. Paul acted in obedience and waited for the door to open then he proceeded.
This is a hard lesson for Christians to learn. It has been very hard for me over the years. When I hear the Lord speak, I am off and running! Unfortunately, this has not always turned out for the best. However, I am getting better at waiting for the Holy Spirit to move and I am learning that God’s Plan will play out perfectly if I don’t get ahead of Him.
Sometimes things that seem to be disappointments turn out to be Blessings. As they say, hindsight is 20/20. The good news is that God has perfect foresight. He knows what’s coming and He wants the best for us so He opens and closes doors accordingly. All we have to do is learn to trust Him. Easily said, not so easy to do at times. I’m learning, how about you? For we walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Trust the Lord. Wait. He is about to……….turn the tide
Learning to trust Him more each day, Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
