Acts 16:7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
Context: Acts 16:6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia…. Acts 16:8-10 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
From the lexicon: Assayed=attempted. Go=lead oneself across. Suffered not=did not permit
Pulling it together: Paul, on his second missionary trip, accompanied by Silas, Timothy, and others had come to the region of Mysia (now part of Turkey). From there he planned to take the Gospel into the Roman province of Asia (further into modern-day Turkey). But the Holy Spirit restrained him. Why, we are not told, nor are we told how the Holy Spirit did this. Instead, Paul and company went to Troas where Paul received a vision of a man from Macedonia (the Balkan Peninsula) calling for help. Paul abandoned his plans and immediately crossed the Aegean Sea in obedience to the call.
While we cannot always expect God to show us his will through a vision, there are applications we can draw from this for us today. First, Paul was actively doing what he knew to do. Second, God redirected. We don’t know exactly how but they were unable to continue in the direction they planned. Third, They listened to God’s call and obeyed. Fourth, God brought the blessing. Among the cities they visited they saw much fruit in Philippi and Thessalonica.
Lord, I pray for grace not to sit around idle but to seek to do Your will in all that I know to do. I pray for grace to be sensitive to Your leading and to trust You for the results.