Acts 16:6-7 –Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia they assayed to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not.

Myra and I have had a strange frustrating day. So much so that the devotion I thought I would be writing will have to wait for another day.
We had a plan for today. Honestly it was a good plan. We were just going to drive a few miles to a local theme park — one of the less rowdy ones — and have a quietly giggly day together. We still don’t know what was wrong with the plan, except it can’t have been God’s plan. He blocked us off and drew a circle around us today.
Of course it shouldn’t be a surprise. King Solomon certainly did. In Proverbs 16:9 he said “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” Proverbs 19:21 says “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.” It’s not just in Proverbs either. In Jeremiah 10:23 you will find “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”
So there it is … It shouldn’t be any kind of surprise when God puts obstacles in the way of our plans. What it should be, and the way Myra and I want to look at it, is a wake up call. The next verse in Jeremiah 10 is “O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.” We believe that if we make plans, but God obstructs them, He has a very good reason. The verse in Jeremiah points out one such reason — namely for correction.
The verse from Acts points out another reason — Paul’s plans to go to Asia were obstructed because God wanted him to go another way. The passage continues, “And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 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.” (Acts 16:8-9). God’s obstruction was for direction.
Then there’s Balaam and his ass. “But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.” (Numbers 22:24-25) (You know the story, but if you want a refresh the whole thing is in Numbers 22:1-35.) In a nutshell, the obstruction was Balaam’s protection.
With me so far? The summary is that God’s obstruction is for correction, direction or protection. So which is it for Myra and me? We don’t know. If we find out, I’ll let you know.