No!

          Recently I was reading in Acts and I stopped when I read Acts 16:7, "After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them."  Paul and his companions were on his second missionary journey and they had planned to preach in Bithynia but "the Spirit did not permit them."  Why?  We have no idea.
         I doubt that Paul had any idea either, but he recognized a divine obstacle.  And shortly, in a vision, God revealed a different direction - Macdonia.  God had a better plan for Paul and his companions, just as He always has a better plan for us when He says "no" to our plans.  And yet, how often we question, Why? Sometimes our faith is weak and we think our plans are best. We need to learn to hold our plans lightly and live flexibly as God guides.
           Has God ever said "no" to your plans?  I asked myself that question when I read this passage.  And I can think of numerous times when that has happened.  But there are four major situations in my life that came to my mind when I asked myself this question.
          When our long time pastor retired, I was elected to the search committee.  Twice during that process we had dealings with experienced pastors who led us to believe that they were very interested in filling our pulpit.  We were very excited.  But at the very last moment both decided to stay where they were.  In fact the one even candidated for us and then dropped out just when we were ready to have the congregation vote.  It was very hard to accept that God was saying "no" to our plans.  After all we had invested many hours and much work to reach these points only to have the door closed. As a congregation we claimed Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things that thou knowest not."  And He did.  God had a better plan for us and months later we called the man who was God's choice and He has been our pastor now for over 35 years.
          A second such situation came early in our married life when we felt called to missionary service.  A guest speaker and his wife joined us for lunch after a Sunday service and shared the ministry of their school in the Philippines.  We were challenged and interested but once again the Lord said "no".  Some physical situations and other problems closed the doors.  But God again had something else special planned for us.  First, he made me realize that He had called me to be a missionary in the public schools in this country and for 39 years I had a unique ministry at Penn Manor.  For most of those years I had a large Bible club - on school time.  We also were able to organize an annual Christ-honoring Baccalaureate Service for the seniors.  I had the opportunity to minister to many young people over the years because God said "no" to our plans.
          He also opened the door for a family ministry that spanned 25 years in churches, Bible conferences and at banquets.  Some years we had over 100 programs where we could present the Gospel to families. And He also gave us the opportunity to start and grow an active Awana ministry in our church. All of this came after God has said "no" to our plans.
          A third situation came three times in my teaching career when I was offered jobs.  Two of them were in other school districts, one of which was a very elite district.  The other opportunity was a chance to be a sports publicist for a college.  All of these were very attractive opportunities, but the Lord said "no".   And in turn He provided me with more opportunities to serve Him at Penn Manor and at Millersville University.
          As I approached retirement I thought the Lord would call me to serve Him in some church ministry.  But as I explored these opportunities I found that I couldn't be considered because I didn't have a formal Bible School background or degree.  And I also became disillusioned at the rude ways I often was treated in this process.  In many years of hiring for jobs at Penn Manor, I never even thought about treating candidates the ways I was treated by several ministries.
         But one opportunity did develop and eventually reached a point where I was even told to develop a job description for my abilities.  Then I was called to a meeting with the hiring committee assuming we were to negotiate final details.  But I was stunned when they told me that they no longer wanted me.  They suggested that I begin another ministry on my own which I personally knew was a duplication of existing programs.  I never found out why they said "no" to me at this point, but I realized that it was really God saying "no".
         And God, once again, had something better for me.  Little did I know that in the early morning hours the state legislature, in order to give themselves raises, increased the multiplier for my retirement plan.  If I had taken the job with that church, I would have missed a substantial raise in my annual retirement.  And as a result, I have been able to volunteer and minister in many ways since my retirement without the need to hold a regular job to live.
          So, just like Paul many years ago, I have learned that God's ways are always best.  And when we follow Him sometimes He will close the doors to our plans.  But He always has something better for us.  It's fine to plan as best as you can, but every plan must be submitted to God. "Not My will, but Yours, be done"  (Luke 22:42)  If Christ yielded His plans to God, shouldn't we?