Acts 16:6-8
“They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.”
One of the most challenging conundrums to any believer’s faith are spiritual dead ends. That is to say, we pursue God’s will for our lives, acknowledge Him in all our ways, obey Him no matter what, and follow Him even to the ends of the earth, so to speak, only to find ourselves up against spiritual road blocks that have no way out – no way around them (as far as we can see). This can stir up so many anti-faith emotions within us like confusion, doubt, worry, disorientation, and the over all general feeling that we’ve either misheard God and gone the wrong way, or He’s left us to ourselves altogether. Take heart. This is normal. And, God has something over the horizon for you that you can’t see right now and never would have found without Him running you into this “dead end.”
This is where the Apostle Paul and his companions found themselves in the passage above. They were eagerly following Christ on this important missions trip. They thought the Lord wanted them to go into Asia but the Holy Spirit forbid them to do so. So, they determined He must want them to go into Bithynia, however once again “the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.” On a map this meant that God quite literally kept them from turning right or left; He forced them to move on straight until finally “they came to Troas.” Troas is at the edge of the earth, so to speak, being on the coast of Asia Minor. Troas was their “dead end.” There was seemingly nowhere else to turn. It seemed they’d either heard wrong, or God had led them to a dead end on purpose. They must have felt confused, frustrated, and possibly disheartened at this point. However, in a dream of the night, God revealed to Paul what He wanted him to do; and apparently it was the last thing on his mind – cross over the sea and go into Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10).
Having led Paul and his companions straight to this apparent dead end God was forcing them into the unknown, into an explosion of ministry success that would take them far beyond their original plans or expectations. They might not have ever experienced all that God had planned for them without Him graciously keeping them from going their own way. This “dead end” was really a launching point to abundance from Jesus’ perspective.
Has God led you directly into a dead end today? Have you done your best to seek Him and follow Him only to find yourself up against a proverbial ocean with nowhere else to turn? Take heart. God works in mysterious ways. Though this well known phrase is not in the Bible it is a Biblical concept:
Romans 11:33
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
If you are doing your best to follow hard after God He sees your effort. Be of good courage. This dead end or road block in your life might just be the launching point to the next great adventure Jesus Christ has for you. Do your best to embrace your “Troas” for “Macedonia” is up ahead.
Father, help us to trust You even when it seems You’ve led us to nowhere. Help us, Holy Spirit, to wait for you in peace and rest, believing You have a good plan for us up ahead. Whether You chose for our “dead end” to last days, weeks, months, or years give us the grace and strength to wait in humble obedience. If, for some reason, we’ve turned our own way have mercy on us and show us the way back again. Lead us out of our “Troas” and into “Macedonia” we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
