Does God Ever Say No to a Good Thing?

I often find myself relearning this lesson. I see something that seems like such a great opportunity for ministry, and start to head right into it, only to find that God has other plans. Has that happened to you? Maybe you have felt the same confusion I battle, thinking something along the lines of, “But this would have been such a good thing!

Paul faced this same thing in Acts 16:6-7.

“Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.”

In these two verses, we see two places or regions Paul was forbidden to go into: the Roman province of Asia (different than what we think of as Asia today) and Bithynia. The surprising thing about these verses is that, at first glance, it appears that God is forbidding Paul and his ministry companions from preaching the Gospel in an unreached place.—And that is accurate.

But what makes this passage so helpful is that we see the situation not from Paul’s perspective, but God’s. At first, we see only what Paul sees: the refusals of his desire to preach the gospel in Asia and Bithynia. But notice what happens next:

“And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” (vv.8-9)

We suddenly see God’s perspective, and instead of a seemingly arbitrary refusal, we catch a glimpse of the bigger picture. God limited Paul, not because what he wanted to do was wrong, but rather in order to ensure his ability to take the gospel where God had planned.

As I started typing the paragraph above, I was reminded of something I heard the other day. I was listening to a sermon by a pastor friend of mine, and he gave some examples of what true liberty looks like. Essentially, true liberty is not the freedom to do whatever we want, but the freedom to do what God wants us to do.

We see this illustrated with Paul here: If he had gone to Asia or Bithynia, he would have not have been at liberty to obey God and take the gospel to Macedonia. He would have taken the gospel, yes, but it would not have been taken to the people God had specifically been preparing to hear it.

Sometimes you and I might struggle to understand why God limits or refuses us when there is a “good” thing we desire to do for Him. But we must remember that God has a plan—He knows what He is doing, and we can trust that whatever He “forbids” will ultimately be a limitation that leaves us at liberty for the next step in His plan for us.

Is there something in your life that just doesn’t seem to make sense today? Take it to God, and let Him shift your focus, and turn the “limitation” into liberty!

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” 

Psalm 32:8