Five Minute Friday: Attempt

Photo by AJ Yorio on Unsplash

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "attempt."

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

                                                                     -Acts 16:6-8 (ESV)


I love this story. I have come back to it many times, especially when a BIG decision is looming in my life. Not so much for the smaller ones-it’s usually only the big decisions that I decide to refer to this story.

Maybe that should be different? Hmmmm….

This morning, as I was perusing Scripture trying to select a passage to go with the word prompt “attempt,” I came across this story again. This time, I decided to get my map out and look at it through geographical eyes.

Phyrigia and Galatia and Mysia all sort of border around the region of Bithynia. They form sort of like a bowl underneath. Paul was so very close. Yet, the Holy Spirit didn’t want him to go there…yet.

He decided to yield to what the Spirit said, and they went down to Troas. If you read the rest of the story, you will see that He had a vision during the night of a man from Macedonia pleading with him to come help him. So, they went. And a new church was born. (Read Acts 16 for all the details.) We literally have another letter in our Bibles because of this incident.

A couple of things I want to point out. First, Paul was attempting to do something. He was in motion. He had gone many places in the area, with the leading of the Holy Spirit I am sure. Many may have been because it seemed good. That phrase is also used in the Scripture.

But when he got to Bythnia it was a big no. This leads me to my next point. Did the Holy Spirit say no because He didn’t want Paul to go to Bythnia, or was it because He had something else for him to do? It may not have been that danger awaited him in Bithynia (because Paul often encountered danger, beatings, etc.), but it was because the timing was there for the people that were awaiting him in Philippi.

I also searched the word Bithynia when I was looking words up today, and that region is also found in 1 Peter 1 in Peter’s greeting to the Believers of specific regions.

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosenaccording to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”-1 Peter 1:1-2 (BSB)

Bithynia was still included. They didn't get left behind or left out.

I think the biggest takeaway (for me anyway), is to always attempt something. Keep moving. You can trust the Lord to direct your steps, and care for those that you thought you might be going to, but it turns out you weren’t. There are more people for you to encounter ahead.

P.S. Read the Bible with a map. (I love geography.)


Many blessings to you as you continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus,

Beth