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Acts 16:7 - Insights Into Walking With The Spirit.

Acts 16:7 - Insights Into Walking With The Spirit.

Acts 16:7 (NKJV) After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go 
into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.  

CONTEXT: Paul's Vision of the Man of Macedonia: Acts 16:6-10.

APPLICATION COMMENTARY With Emphasis On Verse 7:

In seeking God's will (6-10). Paul was an apostle, yet he did 
not always know the direction God wanted him to take. He took steps, 
God closed doors, so he waited; and then God showed him the way. 
[Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe] 

How We Live - Seeking God's Will
  Paul and Silas wanted to preach, to spread the gospel to 
anyone whom they could reach. They headed in one direction, then in 
another, but the Holy Spirit blocked them both times. Why would the Holy 
Spirit prevent these two eager preachers from heading in a certain 
direction?  
  While the question is a good one, it is probably unanswerable. 
Only God knows why he chose to send this missionary team in the 
direction he did. This must have been disconcerting to Paul and Timothy. 
Although we don't know exactly how the Holy Spirit prevented them from 
going in the planned directions--perhaps it was the words of a prophet, 
an inner conviction, or even weather that made the trek 
impossible--we do know that a vision led them in the direction God wanted them 
to go. And they obediently followed.  
  When God says no to you, it doesn't necessarily mean your plan 
was a bad one. Instead, he simply has another place he needs you for 
the time being. So when a door closes, don't attempt to barge 
through it. Trust that God has a reason and will guide you in another 
direction. [The One Year Bible for New Believers re Acts 16:6-10] 

Relying on the Spirit (Acts 16:1-10)
When the great missionary pioneer and founder of the China 
Inland Mission, Hudson Taylor, came to Canada for a speaking tour, the 
first person he stayed with was excited. At last he was going to meet 
a true giant of the faith! He was also curious. How would this 
Spirit-led believer go about planning his itinerary? The next afternoon he 
was shocked when Taylor asked for railroad timetables, and simply 
sat down at the kitchen table to work out his schedule. Where was 
the prayer and fasting the host had expected? Hudson was surprised. 
God had already provided Canada's railroads and the timetables. What 
more was there to ask? Paul's approach to missions was similar. He 
had a strategy he used to select key cities, and to minister when he 
reached them. Like Hudson Taylor, Paul went about ministry in a 
practical way. But the lives of both men show that they also remained 
sensitive to the Spirit's leading, ready to change plans or direction at 
the Spirit's call, and relied on the Spirit fully. We don't need to 
be mystical to rely on the Holy Spirit. We can rely on Him while 
using what God has provided for us--from timetables to our ability to 
plan and develop strategy. But relying on the Spirit also means 
remaining totally open to God, ready to change any plan when He says, 
"No," or "Go." [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary] 

"When we rely on organization, we get what organization can do. 
When we rely upon education, we get what education can do. When we 
rely on eloquence, we get what eloquence can do. But when we rely on 
the Holy Spirit, we get what God can do." A.C. Dixon 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:

Grace Notes:
http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php

A Better Way to Live:
http://www.itiswritten.com/betterway/

Excellent Spiritual Resource Site:
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/

More Spiritual Resources:
http://www.aBible.com