Acts 19:21-22 – STAYED IN ASIA FOR A SEASON
Acts 19:21-22 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
Paul understood that it was the will of God that he go to Jerusalem and then to Rome. However, just because he received direction from the Lord, Paul understood that this did not mean that he needed to go now. God had given him direction for the future, but that did not change what Paul was to do for the Lord today.
God sometimes reveals to us what we need to do in the future. Joseph was given a great vision about how he was going to be a great leader. However, just because Joseph received this great vision, it did not mean that Joseph was to act upon it that very minute. This is what was happening to Paul. Paul understood that he was called to preach in Macedonia. Paul understood that this new direction from God would not take place until after he was finished with where God had placed him today.
Imagine that you are taking a trip. As you look at the map, you have a right hand turn and then a left hand turn. Just because you have a left hand turn in the future, it does not mean that you can take the left hand turn now and make it to your destination. Instead, you first must make the right hand turn at the appropriate place and then you would be prepared to take the left hand turn at the appropriate place.
Think back to the days of the huge cattle drives. Just because the herd needed to cross the river and they could see the river, it did not mean that they should cross the river right then. Instead, the herd sometimes would be driven several miles along the river until they reached the appropriate location where it would be safest for the herd to cross.
We often get impatient with God. Just because we understand what God desires to do with us in the future, we then focus so much time and energy on what we are supposed to do in the future that we fail to properly serve God where we are at today. Paul understood that just because he had purposed to go to Jerusalem and then Rome that did not excuse him from serving God in Asia. Paul remained focus on what God had called him to do and thanked God that he had a plan in what he was supposed to do in the future.
We need to remain patient with God. This means that just because God reveals to us something that is to happen in our future, this does not mean that we should focus our entire attention to doing the new thing for God. Instead, we need to focus our attention upon serving God right where HE has placed us today. A farmer does not try to reap his harvest until it is time for the harvest. Just because the farmer knows that a harvest will soon be coming, the farmer is diligent to prepare the field, plant the crop, and take care of the crop so that when harvest time comes, he will be ready.
One of the reasons why we often do not receive clear visions of what God desires to do through us in the future is because God knows that we would take our eyes off of where we are today in order to focus upon what is to happen in the future. We should follow the example of Paul and when God speaks to us about our future, we remain content with where HE has placed us today.