Surprise: Detours Ahead

How do you know what God wants you to do? Sometimes we have a definite idea of what we believe, our purpose, our plan in life. In Acts 16: 9-15, Paul is certain he is supposed to go one place to share the message of Christ, but then he senses God calling him in a different direction… Way different. He and his companion, Silas, make the journey into new territory and they meet someone totally unexpected… Lydia. She is a Gentile businesswoman alone by the river. By all cultural norms, they should not have approached her. But thanks to the Holy Spirit they did… and what resulted was the first Christian convert in the West. Lydia responded with hospitality, allowing Paul and Silas to stay with her and set up a house church. Throughout scriptures, we see how God calls us out of our comfort zones and certainties, leading us in new directions that we would least expect. Sometimes it’s our stubbornness, sometimes our ignorance, but mostly our fear that prevents us from following where the Holy Spirit leads. Where is God leading you? Where is God leading First Reformed?
 Acts 16: 9-15.