Mon, Oct 29th - 6:15PM

Acts 16:6-10

Stay In Your Place

 ⁶Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.

⁷When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.

⁸So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

⁹During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

¹⁰After Paul had seen the vision; we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Commentary

Get to the place where God has called you to be and stay there. Stay in the place of your assignment until your assignment changes. The bible makes it clear in this passage that Paul and his partners would have preferred to travel to Asia. The King James Version says they were “forbidden” by the Holy Spirit to go in that direction. Paul was not traveling on vacation; he was on a mission. When he traveled, he carried the gospel of Jesus Christ; a message that he had every intention of preaching no matter the place or atmosphere. So, because of the guiding of the Holy Spirit, they traveled instead away from Asia and at first, by all indications, had no idea why. 

Eventually, Paul was given a vision that explained to him why his party had been driven in the direction they were traveling. It’s not that they couldn’t save souls in Asia, but there was a place that needed the men more. God was sending them to the place that He had need of them to be. The men were directed 156 miles by sea to Macedonia.

If you read on in this chapter, (around verse 23) you’ll find that the men arrived in Macedonia, but before long Paul and Silas where beaten up and placed into bondage. Was that there place? Was that where God wanted them to be?

Answer: Yes, that was there place at that time. They were on direct orders from the Lord Himself to preach the gospel which, in turn,  got them into trouble with the government of Macedonia and ultimately landed them in jail. But if they had not have gone through the beatings and the jail time, they would not have been able to witness the revelation of God’s power in their "Midnight Experience" (verse 25). In their midnight experience, God shook the foundation of the prison causing the doors to open as they prayed and sang hymns. And even then, when they appeared to have been set free, Paul knew enough to stay in that place until God told him to move. Had Paul and Silas left the prison, the jailer would have surely committed suicide that night, or had been murdered the next day. 

The place that Paul found God had called him to go held turmoil for the men, nevertheless, it was the correct place. The presence of turmoil does not determine whether the place you are in is your place or not. In fact, sometimes, the presence of turmoil can confirm to you that you are in the right place. It’s the lack of provision and lack of peace that you have to watch for. In your place there will be trouble, but it is only in your place that you will find protection and promotion as well as victory over the trouble. 

While in your place, don’t concern yourself with what your place can't offer you.  Don’t judge the place that God has sent you to by the way it looks or the amount of support you may find in that place. Instead, find the reason that God has placed you there and focus on what you can do for someone else while you are in your place until it is time to move. God led you to the place where you are because he has need of you in this place. You need to be in this place in obedience to Him. If you take care of God’s agenda first, He will be faithful to take care of your agenda; i.e. the place that you would prefer to be.

Your protection is in this place. Your provision is in this place. Your productivity is in this place. Your promotion is in this place. Your peace is in this place. The place that God wants you to be is the best place for you at this time. God will direct you to where you should be and how long you should be there. He will move you to the next place He wants you to be in the way that He wants you to move when he wants you to move there.