Acts 18:21 – IF GOD WILL
Friday, November 13th, 2009Acts 18:21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
Do you control your own schedule or do you allow God to control your schedule? Paul was in a position where he was being asked to stick around and preach the gospel. However, Paul had already committed to the Lord to be in Jerusalem for the feast. Paul desired to come back to Ephesus because he not only had a field that was white unto harvest, but he also had a field that was willing and ready to listen.
Paul understood that he did not control his own schedule. If God permitted him to come back to Ephesus, then Paul would not fight God in coming back. If God did not give him the peace to come back to Ephesus, then Paul was not going to disobey God and come back even though the people in Ephesus desired him to come back.
Paul understood that God controlled his schedule. Paul understood that he needed to be flexible with God and allow God to direct his paths. Paul could not have any expectations regarding what God was going to do in the future. Paul had desires, but Paul turned his desires over to the Lord and Paul allowed God to be God.
Paul completely trusted the Lord and Paul did not try to lean on his own understanding. Paul acknowledged God in all of his ways and God directed Paul’s steps. Paul did not have to worry about what God was going to do with his life the next day because Paul understood that God would open the right doors in HIS own timing.
Remember the story of Balaam? Balaam was a prophet of God and he was asked to curse the nation of Israel. Balaam rejected the request to curse Israel. However, Balak refused to take no for an answer so he sent a second delegation to persuade Balaam. Balaam went to the Lord a second time and God told Balaam that if the men come and call thee in the morning, he was to go. Scripture does not reveal to us that the men came and called Balaam in the morning, what the scripture does reveal is that Balaam rose up in the morning and headed off with these men.
God had told Balaam what would happen before he was allowed to go. Balaam did not give God time to see if God would open the door for him to go and curse Israel. Because Balaam was not patient to see if God was going to lead him, Balaam ended up putting himself in a position where he was almost killed by an angel of the Lord. Balaam did not have the blessing of the Lord upon his life and it almost cost him his life.
If you desire to have the blessing of the Lord upon your life, then you need to be diligent to stay in the center of God’s will. How many times have you been punished by God because you had strayed from the center of God’s will? Balaam had strayed and it almost cost him his life. Paul was not going to allow his own personal desires to control his schedule because if he did, it could cost him his life.
There are many things that we would like God to do through our life. Many of the things may be things that God has shown us that we are supposed to do. However, just because God has told us that HE might do something through us or that HE will do something through us in the future, it does not mean that we can drop everything and do the will of God today. We must be patient with God and allow HIS perfect will and perfect timing to work together to direct our steps.