Finding Direction By Shadows

The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise.— Proverbs 15:31 (NKJV)

The sun of my life has passed its zenith. When I was a child, the long shadows were cast before me, now they fall behind me. As I look back upon the lengthening shades of my past, I see many points that bring regret. There were foolish choices, bad judgments, failures, and misunderstandings. I caused pain to good people, often to people who loved me. I took wrong turns, stumbled and fell upon wrong roads. Many of those failures brought suffering, though not as much, by God's grace, as I deserved. Sometimes I tried to do good things, and they turned out well. Sometimes they did not.

All of us have experienced checks in our lives. We have experienced physical difficulties, failed relationships, material losses, financial setbacks, rejections, and disappointments. We have had dreams and plans that failed to come to pass. We achieved some great success and found it much emptier and less satisfying that we expected. We may think of ourselves as having been rebuked but to be rebuked has a negative connotation. Another translation says, The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise (ESV). Sometimes it feels as if God has rebuked us, but He has merely given us a course correction, a push, or perhaps a violent shove. If we were about to be hit by a bus and someone shoved us out of the way, we would likely not take offense.

Wisdom — not wealth, prestige, or power — is the key to life. Wisdom is one of the few things in life of genuine and lasting value. We should do whatever is necessary to acquire it. James say, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." It is also true that "in much wisdom is much sorrow". Like all great treasures, wisdom is not always easily carried.

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas (Acts 16:6-8 ESV). Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Dr. Luke were on a missionary journey. These were sincere, devoted servants of Christ. Paul and Luke wrote the majority of the New Testament. They were traveling through Asia Minor, visiting existing churches and speaking words of encouragement. They wanted to take a particular direction, but something seemed to hinder them. They were unable to speak about Christ anywhere in the region. Perhaps the Anointing that empowered their ministy had been revoked, or they were consistently denied opportunites. Either way, they must have questioned their course. They may have wondered if they had missed God, if He was no longer pleased with them, if He had in some way rejected them. They may have wisely kept their own council, but the thoughts would have been present for each.

Day after fruitless day they traveled on, hearing nothing except the negative and being constantly rebuked. "Don't go there! No! No preaching here." Yet, because they were wise, they did not take these corrections personally or allow themselves to become offended or resentful. They expressed no bitterness. They simply accepted the reproof and moved on in a direction they were allowed to go. If God will not speak to you positively, allow Him to speak to you negatively. Sometimes the best thing is to know what not to do.

Following this dictum, the party found its way to a port city on the Aegean Sea called Troas. Still not knowing where to go or what to do, Paul lay down to sleep. And 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.” So it was that out of rebukes and reproofs that the Gospel crossed over into Europe.