When God Says No

Hello and welcome to Season 3 of Van Life Devotions. Today we are in the ancient city of Philippi in northern Greece. Throughout the Bible, and perhaps you have experienced this in your own life, God has the bigger picture even when you don’t know what that is. An example of this was when God’s Spirit kept Paul from preaching the gospel in some of the towns. We read about this in Act 16. Paul was in the middle of his second missionary journey. He was in Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey. He was eager to preach in new places, to evangelise the lost, and to start up churches. What a great idea and yet God had other ideas. The Holy Spirit kept Paul from preaching the gospel in some of these towns.

I find that sometimes when God says no – even doing something that you think would please Him – when God says no to an idea, it’s because He has a better idea. Why the Holy Spirit said no to Paul’s idea we don’t really know. Paul wasn’t sure but in obedience he didn’t preach but continued going on his travels and arrives in Troas. We visited Troas and its ancient habour. That night Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia who begged Paul to come over to Macedonia and help them. When God closes one door, He opens another. Paul woke from the vision and told his fellow travellers that they must go to Macedonia (which is a northern Greek region with several cities).

Paul and the others sailed across and in the next few days they had arrived in Philippi. Philippi was “a leading city of the district of Macedonia” (Acts 16:12), where people would pass through to go to other cities.

On the Sabbath, Paul, Timothy, Silas, and Luke found a place of prayer which was an area dedicated for Jews to worship if there wasn’t a synagogue in the town. It was around here that they met a group of women and started speaking with them. Then Luke wrote in Acts 16 verse 14, “One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message” (Acts 16:14 NIV).

Other members from Lydia's house were also there and must have also responded for we are told that Lydia and her household were baptized. Today, you can visit the Zigaktis River which is just outside of Ancient Philippi. Through Lydia and her household’s conversion and baptisms, the church at Philippi was born! They were the first European Christians.

God had a reason to say no to Paul from preaching in parts of Turkey. He had a better idea – to start the church in Europe.

Sometimes we don’t always know what God is doing when He closes doors, but in faith we trust God and, in His time, a door opens to better opportunities like it did for Paul and his team.

By the way, about two years later, the Spirit of God allowed Paul to go back to Turkey and preach the gospel (Acts 19). God’s timing is perfect.

Let’s pray:

Dear God. Help us to recognize that when doors close maybe its because you have a better idea for us. Help us to trust you like Paul did. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

David Moyes