Are you wondering what God has for you and unsure exactly what your next move ought to be? Sometimes we are waiting for a clear word from God, a strong sense of direction, an unmistakable call, or even an obvious next step, and we don’t seem to be getting any of these things. However, many times God does not provide us with specific directions. Instead, we have to walk by faith. And we are in good company – Abraham and Paul did the same thing.
Abraham’s journey of obedience
At 75 years of age, Abraham packed up everything and left Haran. All he had was a word from God to “Go to the land I will show you” and a promise of legacy and blessing (Genesis 12:1-3). He had no idea as to exactly what was ahead. He did not know God would give him the whole land of Canaan as his inheritance.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Hebrews 11:8 (NIV)
After months of travel, Abraham arrived in Canaan. That was when God “appeared” to him (meaning Abraham had some kind of divine revelation from God, or a theophany) (Genesis 12:7). This was on a whole different level from the word he had earlier received, and Abraham’s instant response was to build an altar to the Lord. This is the first altar Abraham ever built and is an acknowledgement of his dedication and commitment to God.
Sometimes we just have to begin the journey, without knowing the destination, as Abraham did. It may require us to leave some things behind, and it may be rather wearying. We may need to make difficult decisions along the way, including having to pass by opportunities that could distract us or stop us short of where we need to be. This is the journey of obedience.
Just know that, like Abraham when he reached Shechem (which was in the centre of the land of Canaan), when you reach where you need to be, God will show up for you.
Paul’s journey of closed doors
When the Apostle Paul set out from Antioch on his second missionary journey, it seems he intended to travel to Phrygia and Galatia (where he had been previously), then keep heading west through the province of Asia to Ephesus. But without explanation, he was stopped in his tracks. He was forbidden from entering Asia by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6).
When a door slams in our face, we can feel rather disconcerted, unsure what our next step is. Sometimes we feel grieved, thinking it’s probably our fault and wondering what we’ve done wrong. Maybe we become angry that God would bring us this far only to pull us up for no reason. Could it be that there is another explanation? Maybe a closed door is simply part of the journey of building our faith and trust in God.
At this Holy Spirit interruption, Paul decided to turn north rather than west and continued on. However, at the next border, again the Holy Spirit stopped him and would not allow him to travel any further north (Acts 16:7). Now what? With nowhere to go, and no desire to turn back to the east towards home, Paul decided to turn west and skip across the top of the province of Asia (Acts 16:8).
But when he reached the coast, it seemed to be the end of the line. He could travel no further. And that’s when God showed up with a vision of a man from Macedonia, with a call to a whole different country across the water (Acts 16:9-10). God actually wanted Paul to travel to Greece all along, but Paul had no idea of this when he started out.
Very often, closed doors are part of the journey. God knows the big picture, and the closed doors are there to get us to where we need to be. So instead of stopping at a closed door or reacting inappropriately, let’s look around for a direction that is open, being sensitive in case the Holy Spirit wants to redirect us again.
Giving up control
One of the main lessons of the journey of obedience and closed doors, is that God asks us to give up control. And that is not easy! We are asked to put our fate, our direction, and our destination in God’s hands. That’s what Abraham and Paul did, and that’s what He asks each of us to do also.
Our job is to stay engaged in the journey. To continue to trust and to listen, even when we have no idea where we are going, or why we are going this way.
And if we are ever tempted to demand answers from God, it’s worth reading through Job 38:1-42:6 before we do! (It will help us with our perspective.) God is in control. He loves us so much and wants to lead us and guide us into His best. But it is a faith walk all the way.
