SATURDAY September 23, 2023

If God Wills

When they [Aquila and Priscilla] asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
Acts 18:20-23

As a Jew, Paul had shaved his head, after completing the Nazarite vow. His brethren in Jerusalem would recognize his vow of consecration to God. In turn, these actions would open the door for him to witness to them. In the city, there would be about 2 million Jews visiting for the Passover feast. As a Christian, he wanted to use this opportunity to reach them.

Paul knew God was in control of his life; therefore, when he planned to travel, he used this important phrase, “God willing.” He would return to his friends in Ephesus, only if God permitted him to do so. Paul’s call and apostleship was led by God. He had a willingness to wait on the perfect will of God for his life. He never wanted to get ahead of Him in any way.

In your planning, do you wait on the will of God? You should never get ahead of God, but pray for His will to be done. You need to use this phrase, “If God wills,” when making any plans for your life. Always consult with the Lord about any ideas because they need to align with His will. I think it is a good way to end your prayers with, “If God wills.”

In the beautiful port of Caesarea, Paul greeted the church, but he did not stay there too long. Again, his main focus was to travel to Jerusalem. Paul wanted to make it in time for the Passover feast. From Jerusalem, he went back to Antioch, where believers were first called Christians. He spent some time at his home base before embarking on his third missionary journey. He traveled to the region of Galatia and Phrygia to strengthen all the disciples of Christ in that area. What a beautiful heart of a shepherd Paul had!

If you are ignorant of God's Word, you will always be ignorant of God's will.
~Billy Graham~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!