| Sumner Wemps Spiritual Encouragement & Motivation |  |
"The Spirit suffered them not" Acts 16:7
The Holy Spirit shut the door
"They assayed to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not", did not allow them to go. He shut the door. It does not say how this was done. I am sure the Holy Spirit suffered Celeste and me not to go to Brazil 57 years ago. We got married and in less than six months all of our support came in to go to Brazil as missionaries. It was staggering the way God did it. We and the mission board, were overwhelmed. It usually takes two to five years to raise one's support. Just as dramatically, God shut the door and we never went to Brazil. It was many years later before we came to know why God closed the door.
Behind the scenes
The Holy Spirit opens and shuts doors. It is vital and relieving to realize this. If we are "walking in the Spirit" and praying and trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us (Rom 8:14), when the door is shut, we can have peace and not doubt God. We must walk by faith and trust God when He may not tell us why! We must pray like Jesus did, "Not my will but thine be done" Lk 22:42.
Sometimes, here is why
Paul had a "thorn inn the flesh" Cor 12:7. He never told just what it was. "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me." God never took it away but told him, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is perfect in weakness." You and I must know that His grace is sufficient for us when we have a '"Thorn in the flesh" or any problem or any prayer we do not see answered.
Our response
Then we must respond like Paul and say sincerely, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" 1 Cor 12:7-10. Make sense?
What are your infirmities
What has He "suffered you not" to do nor get? He shut the door. He did not answer that prayer when and the way you wanted . He did not take away that infirmity and you have agonized and prayed for it for years. Don't be hurt, don't be angry, don't rebel, don't get bitter. You can trust God. He knows all about it. He is the omniscient God. A sparrow does not fall to the ground but what God takes note of it Matt 10:29. Trust God that "all things work together for good to those who love Him" Rom 8:28 and "take pleasure in your infirmity" so God can use it in wonderful ways to His glory.
Enter the drawings once a day, daily. Others do and have a better chance to win. Great books given each month.
On this day in 1945 Nazi forces surrendered unconditionally. If you surrendered unconditionally to God He will set you free and use you greatly to His glory.
"It is not what happens to you that counts but what you do with happens to you that counts." It can make you better or bitter." That is all up to you.
"The persecution of the early church was like scattering firebrands" Dr. L. R. Scarborough
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