The Big Picture

         While working with A. T. and T. Co., we had to have a company driver's license which meant that we had to be certified every six months. There would be one person in the office who would be the main person for certification of everyone else. One of the common phrases of the company driving program was to be sure to get the “Big Picture.” You had to be looking ahead and to all sides and checking the rear view mirrors about every 10 seconds to be fully aware of what was going on around you. One might think that we are always prone to see the big picture but in most things, we are not prepared for the big picture. This applies not only to driving but to life as well. I may have my priorities in life and have my plans on how to achieve them but God quite often takes me on a different road. Acts 16:9 says, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”

        Paul and Silas were prepared to go back to several of the previous church plants to check on how they were doing. But the Holy Spirit blocked their way. This happened twice and finally the Apostle Paul took the evangelistic team to Troas to wait and find out what God had in mind for them. We call it the “Macedonian Vision.” This was going to be a new adventure and the Gospel was going to cross over from Asia Minor to Europe as they set forth to head to Macedonia. I would think that people would be lined up just waiting for the brilliant speakers to come and to share with them the Gospel message. God had a different plan that would soon find the evangelistic team in prison. Wow! What a way to start a new church plant. Paul and Silas, however, were faithful to God in all that they did and were even praising God in the evening and were singing at midnight, apparently so loud that everyone heard them. God had His plan in action. Paul and Silas didn't know what it was but they soon found out a part of it when the jail fell down and the jailer comes in and asks them how to be saved. We always enjoy the whole account of acts 16 and see how God was working in the lives of Paul and Silas. Things may not have gone the way they expected but they still stood faithful to God in all that they did. We need to do the same. There are so many times that we do not see the Big Picture that God has for us. We don't know what will be happening down the road, but God does. We don't know what is going to happen next week or next year, but God does. We don't know the difficulties that we will overcome next week, but God does. You get the picture. God has everything in His plan and absolutely nothing is going to happen that is not in His plan, so we can trust in His Big Picture. Praise God today for the fact that nothing is a surprise for Him. Just keep praising the LORD in all that you do, twenty-four-seven.