Acts 16:9-10 That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans.
11-12 Putting out from the harbor at Troas, we made a straight run for Samothrace. The next day we tied up at New City and walked from there to Philippi, the main city in that part of Macedonia and, even more importantly, a Roman colony. We lingered there several days.
13-14 On the Sabbath, we left the city and went down along the river where we had heard there was to be a prayer meeting. We took our place with the women who had gathered there and talked with them. One woman, Lydia, was from Thyatira and a dealer in expensive textiles, known to be a God-fearing woman. As she listened with intensity to what was being said, the Master gave her a trusting heart—and she believed!
15 After she was baptized, along with everyone in her household, she said in a surge of hospitality, “If you’re confident that I’m in this with you and believe in the Master truly, come home with me and be my guests.” We hesitated, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
-------We're typically a busy bunch. "What should we be doing?" What project, program or direction should we pursue? But as busy as we are we can't do everything. I know for myself it is often more difficult to ask "What should I NOT do?"
Paul was eager to spread the gospel. And yet this part of the Acts story begins with what Jesus is telling Paul NOT to do, where he SHOULDN'T go, to whom he should NOT preach. It must have been difficult for old Paul to hold back; one can't help but wonder what that command felt like. But NOT doing something left Paul free to finally do what God had in mind for him. So he was ready to respond when he received the vision instructing him to go into Macedonia.
Of course, the doing is always more complicated than it first appears. Are there things we're not supposed to do, or do we just not feel like it? Is it too intimidating or boring or "beneath us?" Even after the vision, Paul still had to "conclude"--that is, figure out--what exactly he was supposed to do. So what might God be forbidding us to do or undertake today? Who should we NOT talk to? What should we NOT do so we are ready for the very thing that God has in mind for us down the road? And how do we know
Lord, open our eyes, minds and hearts to hear both the dos and the don’ts that you speak to us, and give us the wisdom to come to the intended conclusions. Amen.
Tim Kellgren
Retired, Elim Lutheran Church, Petaluma, Calif.
Master of Divinity , 1971
Acts 16:9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis,
12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days.
13 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.
14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.
15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.[New Revised Standard Version]
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