I read something in the Scriptures the other day that literally blew my mind and encouraged the heck out of me…and I walked away with this thought…
Many times the reason God says “no” to something now is only because He desires to say “yes” to something greater later!
Stay with me here…take a second to read Acts 16:6…at first that verse doesn’t seem like a big deal but the more I think about it the more I am almost positive it crushed Paul. He had a passion to reach the people in the province of Asia…he was on fire to tell people about Jesus and was willing to go wherever and do whatever.
BUT…God said “no!” I know that personally when God tells me no I usually do not take it well…especially when I am convinced that my idea is best for HIS Kingdom (how silly is that?)
Maybe you are in the same boat…you are a church planter and thought your were going down the right path…but God has told you “no” for now and you don’t understand.
Maybe you are a pastor who wanted to launch a new campus or a new ministry…but God has told you “no” for now and you are feeling like a failure because you really did think you were doing what is best.
Maybe you really thought you were supposed to take a particular step of faith…but nothing has seemed to work out the way you planned it and you just seem to be getting “no” from God over and over again. (Read Acts 16::6-8…that’s all that Paul seemed to be getting!)
Just remember…the reason God says “no” to something now is only because He desires to say “yes” to something greater later.
As we read Acts 16, 17 and 18 we see Paul experiencing Jesus and seeing the Lord work and do things that he had never experienced before. To say that the Lord used this time to shape his life and ministry would be an understatement.
THEN…we get to Acts 19…I want you to go back and read Acts 16:6 again…seriously, go ahead and do it…
NOW read Acts 19 :8-10!!! Especially focus on Acts 19:10!!!
What God said “no” to in Acts 16:6 was only because He was going to do something greater that happened in Acts 19:10!!! God did want to reach the province of Asia…He did want to see lives changed…He just wanted to do it through the church and Ephesus which would not have happened had He not taken Paul down the path that He took him down.
AMAZING!!!
So…for all those out there who are discouraged and/or doubting…HOLD ON, God is a GREAT GOD who wants GREAT THINGS for HIS CHILDREN! His plans are greater than ours…His ways are higher than ours…and I am fully convinced that the reason He has said “no” for now is because He is going to say “yes” to something greater later.
Ephesians 3:20 is true!!! So hold on…don’t give up…He has GREATER things in store!!!