Were you impressed by how quickly the men praying in Antioch heard the Holy Spirit and then immediately acted on the message? It sounds like the message fell upon the group, rather than just one person. Such a great confirmation for Saul and Barnabas to start their missionary journey!
Have you ever experienced anything like that? For these believers, there was absolutely no doubt what should be happening next because of a profound message from God. We can only long for and expect to hear from God in this way. His messages are often a lot more subtle. For Saul and Barnabas, the clear direction was to go, but go where?
These missionaries didn’t take the command lightly. They continued to fast and pray even after the direction came in. Before they left on this journey, the others prayed over them. We see a good model for sending missionaries into the mission field. We should be praying regularly for our missionaries, those sharing the Gospel away from home.
What a good community of faith Barnabas and Saul had supporting them! With such a powerful, all-knowing God leading the way for them, they had to be a bit giddy, even if they had any concerns. It wasn’t safe to be a Christian after all. This journey would be no vacation.
Do we often hold back from taking risks in ministry because we’re afraid of how hard it’ll be? If there is any uncertainty at all, we often wait it out to see what happens rather than boldly stepping out in faith. Why is that? Why are we so timid? Is that what we saw in the behaviors of Saul and Barnabas?
Of note in the early days of their mission, Saul and Barnabas encountered a sorcerer, said to be a false prophet. The Bible warns repeatedly to beware of false teachers. That sorcerer had found his way to have an audience with the governor. There seems to have been a divine appointment for our missionaries to help the governor to see the truth and escape the clutches of the evil sorcerer.
The Holy Spirit again intervenes to help the men with this situation. If there was any question on how to handle things, the Holy Spirit cleared that up. Paul was wise to just let the Holy Spirit handle the matter with the sorcerer. It can be like an out-of-body experience when you hear words coming out of your mouth that you know must be from God. Paul would have felt that thrill. The false teacher had been exposed!
The governor would not be hood-winked anymore. Did you notice that the governor had a hunger for God’s word or at least a curiosity? Despite the sorcerer’s efforts, his search for the truth remained. We need to be looking for those openings with non-believers around us. When there is interest, introduce them to Jesus. Just follow the help of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for always giving me the words to say at the right moment. Forgive me when I don’t wait for your provision and rush ahead of your perfect timing. Help me do a better job of waiting on you, listening for your voice, and seeking you when I need help. Here I am, Lord; empower and send me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
