DAD'S RAMBLING -- ROADBLOCKS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – ROADBLOCKS

"Therefore we wanted to come to you-- even I, Paul, time and again – but Satan hindered us." (I Thessalonians 2:18)

Paul recognized Satan as the source of the roadblocks that hindered him from visiting the Believers at Thessalonica. Satan is an enemy of Christ and His kingdom and his purpose is to disrupt the advance of Christ's kingdom.

We do not have particulars about how Satan hindered Paul. This is not the first time that Paul was hindered from what he had in his heart to do. In his letter to the Romans, he wrote that he had planned to come to them in order to encourage them, but he was hindered (Romans 1:13). In fact, he was "much hindered" (Romans 15:22).

The enemy of the Christ's Kingdom will do whatever he can to put up roadblocks to hinder the work of the Kingdom. He will use any means necessary to keep the Gospel from being proclaimed, whether a government that forbids the preaching of Christ, or a moral failure of a Christian leader, or heretical doctrine.

Sometimes it is difficult to discern whether it is God who is redirecting our path or Satan who has put up roadblocks to keep us from fulfilling God's plan. Paul, in our focus verse, explicitly said that it was Satan who hindered him. But in another instance, he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to go to a particular area (Acts 16:6).

In any event, it takes discernment to know whether it is Satan or the Holy Spirit who is causing the delay, but we can be sure that God is sovereign and He will direct our paths. God can even use Satan's attempt to hinder God's plan to advance the Kingdom of God. An example is China where the government tried to stop the Gospel from going forth, but millions have come to Christ, even in persecution.

We can be sure that Christ will build His Church. I just don't want to be a hindrance to the spread of the Gospel by what I do, what I say, or where I go.

Love, Dad