Led by the Spirit

Daily Reading: Acts 16

Scripture Focus: So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” (Acts 16.8-9)

Devotional Thought: It was there, in Troas, according to verse 9, that a vision appeared to Paul in the night.  He saw a man and heard his voice saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  Was it an angel?  Whatever he saw and heard, it is now called the Macedonian call. This is where Fanny Crosby got the words of that old hymn Macedonian Crywhich she wrote in 1865:

There’s a cry from Macedonia—Come and help us; The light of the Gospel bring, oh come! Let us hear the joyful tidings of salvation, We thirst for the living spring.

Paul heard the call and verse 10 says, “Immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Paul and the missionary band left the continent of Asia and took the Gospel into Europe for the first time. There was no hesitation.  Paul knew he was being led by the Spirit. This was God’s will.

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit?  It means to live each moment of each day in the spirit of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done.” As long as we are determined to do things our way, to have what we want when we want it, we will always be frustrated and come up short.  And remember, as with Paul and his missionary band, God may sometimes say, “no, don’t go that way”.  We should be sensitive to his leading, then trust and obey.

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14, NIV).  Are you a child of God?

Dale Noel

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your leading Spirit.  Help me, when you call, to respond with immediate obedience.  May your Spirit give courage and confidence to go along with the call.  Through Jesus Christ, amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 71.17-24

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?

20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.

21 You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.

22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.

24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.