Take a moment to read Acts 13:1-12 before reading the devotional below.
In yesterday’s post, we ended with the fact that following the lead of the Holy Spirit is a life-or-death matter. In today’s passage, we continue to see Barnabas and Saul (also called Paul at this point) rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit to carry out their mission of church planting. Recall that they have been at the church in Antioch for a year and now God is asking them to move along in their journey. I am struck by the fact that the Holy Spirit is able to communicate this message to all the leaders there while they are worshiping and fasting. And they didn’t just take that message and run. Instead they continue to pray and fast until they are all sure the message was clear.
Barnabas and Paul are led to the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. There they encounter a sorcerer and once again we see the power of eye contact in spiritual discernment. Paul rebukes the sorcerer and strikes him blind, a unique reversal of so many miracles in which the blind were made to see. Of course Paul himself was well aware of what it was like to become suddenly blind, and perhaps his own experience during his conversion gave him an unusual authority to do the same to another who was in opposition to Jesus. The work of the Holy Spirit through Paul leads the governor of the island to put his faith in Jesus.
If you position yourself to listen, you can hear the Holy Spirit’s leading. Intentional times of worship, fasting and prayer are essential to one’s spiritual life. You will limit your ability to hear from God if you do not regularly engage in these spiritual disciplines. Living an empowered life requires you to go beyond the everyday into the supernatural. God will speak through his word to us all, but accurately discerning the Spirit must be sought after on purpose. And then a willingness is required to obey.