A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him, and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that Adonai had called us to proclaim the Good News to them. Acts 16:9-10
This was the answer! This was why they had been forbidden to speak in Asia! The need was greater in Macedonia, where the Word had not yet been heard at all! The Holy Spirit was keeping them quiet so they would not get involved and entrenched in Asia, to urge them onward to expand the Kingdom into the new untouched ground of Macedonia! Now it all made sense!
I've observed the call of the Spirit very often doesn't make sense - until it does. The call is often preceded by strange events we don't understand, requiring one to act in ways not of one's choosing. Surely Paul did not enjoy these frustrated attempts at preaching. Who would ever think the Holy Spirit would stop anyone, particularly an apostle, from sharing the Word! Yet, that's exactly what happened. Very strange indeed. Yet, there was a purpose to it that was revealed in due time. Because Paul had been obedient he was in the right place at the right time to be used in that purpose, by heeding the call. When he did receive it he responded immediately to answer it. No agonizing over what this means. No running it through his own logic-filter first. Just obedience..
Something Paul didn't do when he heard the call was to say; "I'll answer that call, right after I ___(fill in the blank)___." I've seen many people do this, and it never works out well for them. Sometimes it is an outright disaster. If Messiah calls you, He means right now, not later. After all, isn't that what you would expect of the Master calling His bondslave? To do anything other than answering the call immediately means you are doing your will instead of His will. That means you want to be boss in that relationship. You can't be boss in the Kingdom, because that position is already taken.
Paul was a bondslave of Yeshua. As such he did not question his Master, nor did he balk at being in the dark for a while about the reasons why. He just kept going on with the last orders he had. That's what a bondslave does - he just keeps going with the last orders he has - until another call comes from the Lord to do something else. This is the life of the bondslave.
Those who are dabbling in Messiah, who have not yet come to be bondslaves, aren't like that. They are guessing and speculating all the time about what they should be doing or not doing. Why are they like that? Because they have not yet fully made Yeshua Lord of their life. They must be in control. They must rationalize everything. If they don't understand something, or don't like it, they will disregard it, even though it is of the Spirit. Because of this they may never get to the point where they otherwise would receive the call to higher service, or if they do receive the call, they don't recognize it as such. Either way, they reject the call and miss out on Kingdom opportunities. As Messiah said:
"For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14
The "chosen" answer the call immediately as soon as it comes!
