1 Thessalonians 2:18 NIV: For we wanted to come to you — certainly I, Paul, did, again and again
— but Satan stopped us.
Paul desperately wanted to see the believers in the Thessalonian
church. He apparently was distressed over their welfare. For whatever reason he felt compelled to
return to Thessalonica, circumstances prevented his going, circumstances Paul
attributed to demonic forces. However, God ‘s peace came when Paul sent Timothy
to “strengthen and encourage you (Thessalonians) in your faith, so that no one
would be unsettled by these trials.”
Many times the desires of our heart become thwarted, and it
is difficult to know whether the roadblock is Satanic or divinely rooted.
How do we tell the difference? It takes prayer — persistent
and sometimes agonizing prayer. All too often, we choose to attribute the
change, saying in our hearts, “Oh well, God must’ve changed his mind.”
God does not change his mind on a whim, and likewise, we
should not be so quick to attribute obstacles to Him. If we believe God has set
us on a course, and that course is obscured, it is very possible Satan does not
want us to pursue God’s will to our better spiritual walk. In this instance,
most often the course- changing winds are not God’s divine intervention.
Staying the course in our hearts, we can then submit the circumstances to the
Lord, trusting God to overcome.
It is also true, that God allows things into our lives in
order to redirect our efforts to better adapt to His plan for us. It is not
that God has changed his mind, for his purpose for us is always our spiritual
welfare. We need to examine our desires, commit or recommit them to the Lord,
and determine if these things will indeed enhance our devotion. If our desires
distract us from an ever-deepening relationship with our Lord and Savior, God
may very well send roadblocks destined to return us to his Everlasting Arms.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in
all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5 – 6 NIV).
Linda’s best-selling Adirondack Romance, It Really IS a Wonderful Life, is
published by Lighthouse of the Carolinas and is available wherever books are
sold. Her next releases were her
devotional book, I Prayed for Patience
God Gave Me Children and Days of
Vines and Roses.
Joy
Comes to Dinsmore Street and A
Christmas Prayer have been released in time for the Christmas as well as her mini novel, Jolly
Angel. Songs in the Valley/ Helping Hands Press, will be released in 2014.
Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com or email her at lindarondeau@gmail.com or find her on Facebook,
Twitter, PInterest, LinkedIn, Google Plus
and Goodreads.
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