Paul then faces more opposition in Caesarea, his next stop. A prophet named, Agabus, came down from Judea to warn him. He took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.” The people pleaded with Paul not to go, but Paul was adamant in his response. “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 21:13. This is not a whim from either Paul or the disciples. On both sides it came from the Holy Spirit. Paul remained undeterred and they agreed to let the Lord’s will be done. Paul went to Jerusalem and ran smack into trouble. He was arrested on false charges and spent the next five years of his life, not according to his plan, but according to God’s plan.

In seeking and discerning the will of God, reading our circumstances can be one of the most difficult things to do. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” The assumption there is that as you acknowledge God in all your ways, trust Him with all your heart, you are going to discover that you will fly again and again in the face of your own wisdom and understanding.

Noah would have never built the arc, if he had leaned on his own understanding. Abraham would not have left Ur of the Chaldeans, not knowing where he was going or why, if he had leaned on his own understanding. Moses would not have led Israel out of Egypt. David would never have faced Goliath and Paul would have stayed in Tyre. God doesn’t lead us around obstacles, but often leads us to them. And it is in those obstacles we are tested and strengthened. Christians are called to live in the realm of what is right, but sometimes what is right defies natural understanding. We can be so motivated by vision, and in looking at our circumstances, we have hard decisions to make.

Charles first suggests you should be waiting but carry on with your everyday life. In God’s timing, He’ll open the door that gives you His opportunity and put you in touch with the right people for the right reason. God will direct your path. After his conversion on the Damascus Road, Paul eventually returned home to Tarsus and made tents, until Barnabas had sought him out and brought him to Antioch, from where Paul emerged as the great missionary apostle, which God had called him to be. But it took at least 12 years before the realization of that vision. Abraham waited 25 years for his son, Isaac, to be born; Joseph 22 years before his brothers bowed before him; Moses 40 years before entering Egypt again. There are many times when God speaks visions into our hearts and we have to wait.  Isaiah 5:19 says, “Woe to those who say, ‘Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it’.” God is never in a hurry and even if it takes years, when we wait upon Him, we will begin to see His vision for us take root.

The second key response to a vision we’ve received from God is to be watchful. Wait with our eyes open. After leaving Jerusalem, Paul had plans of visiting Rome, then moving on to Spain to evangelize, but God had different plans. Instead, Paul was thrown into prison, which served to advance the Gospel, not hinder it as fellow believers had assumed. Paul writes, “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the Gospel more courageously and fearlessly.” Philippians 1:13-14.  Of all places in the world, the hottest seat of authority, Caesar’s household in Rome, Paul says there is a church and they send you greetings. We should never be committed to our visions, but only to God Himself, and His will for us then becomes our direction. The vision we have is more like a compass, not a map. Move in that direction, but be prepared to have God alter it. Our plans will often go off track, but God, in his wisdom and sovereignty, may be working out some other purpose, so be watchful, alert to God’s agenda, and not what we’ve been anticipating.

Thirdly, be willing. Be willing to allow God to put you in His place, at His time, however different that may be from your own expectations. God will never march you there. He gives you an option, a way out, as he did with Paul through urgent and unanimous warnings from fellow believers. Jesus had met several times with two brothers, Peter and Andrew, and two other brothers, James and John, who all worked together as fishermen. They were having a very unproductive day when Jesus came along and told them to cast their nets over to the other side of the boat. When they did, they had caught so many fish they had difficulty lifting their nets into the boat. With what must have been the most awesome catch they’d ever had, Jesus then said, “Leave your boat and your fish and follow me.”

When God guides us, He often gives us good reason not to follow. He tests us. How committed are we? But the will of God is so significant, it requires total commitment and involves paying a price. That’s why in the New Testament suffering, opposition and persecution is repeatedly evidence of the will of God. Being in the will of God doesn’t mean we’ll walk on water. It means we’ll face obstacles and hardships, which serve to draw us nearer to God, strengthening and equipping us for His purposes. Fundamental to being a Christian is that our lives are not our own anymore. They are God’s to use for His glory. When God whispers a vision into our hearts that doesn’t seem logical, we’ll learn to discern His will as we follow it through. If it isn’t His will, He’ll stop us, but if it is, be waiting, watchful and willing. God has undertaken to guide us and He will see it through!