from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2HpEYrm
via IFTTT Satan hindered us. Wait.... Wasn't Paul preaching a gospel of power over the enemy? How could Paul then say that satan hindered his efforts to minister to the church? Did satan win? What gives? First off, no. Satan did not win. Sure Paul was somehow blocked from personally visiting the church as he wanted, but two positive things came from that. In the next chapter we find that Timothy went instead. Timothy was Paul's right hand man, but younger. It was a deeply valuable training experience for Timothy to be sent in Paul's stead. And then Paul ends up writing the letter that you and millions of others have read since that day. Had Paul gone, we would not have this book in the Bible. Satan didn't win in the long run, he never does. God is still master of the future. God always wins. But Paul's personal wishes? Blocked. We do not read that God "sent" Paul, but that Paul himself wanted to go. What was hindered? Personal desires. Had Paul been so instructed, he would surely have stood firmly against the hindrance and rebuked it as he had several times before. But he didn't. It wasn't God's ultimate plan. Our personal desires are often hindered. Difficulties come, challenge arise. Satan works diligently to hinder all that he can. Why does God allow this? How do you gain strength? Is it not but working against resistance? Lifting weights build muscle. Facing opposition builds faith and perseverance. God allows Satan to challenge our efforts so that we grow strong in facing opposition. Life following Christ is not a vacation, it is a war. We are on the front lines. The more good we do for the kingdom of God, the more satan takes notice and attacks us. He naturally attacks those most committed, in our most vulnerable way. There is an old saying from the airforce, "if your not taking flak, you are not over the target". We are attacked, hindered when satan is threatened, when we are on the right path, when we do God's work effectively. And that is a good thing. It makes us strong in the Lord The takeaway here is, stay diligent. We will be attacked when we do good. Hinderances will come to discourage us, block us, distract us. But God will always win. Don't fear, don't fret. God has a plan.
