When God says N to the O

As I read Romans chapter 1, I was struck with the way that Paul expressed his desire to visit Rome and the reason he said he didn’t.

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong — that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. Romans 1:11–13

Paul said that he was prevented, but by whom. Who was stopping Paul from traveling to Rome to encourage and edify these young Christians?

They clearly needed the guidance that he could have provided. They were in the midst of persecution and a lot of doctrinal confusion between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. They could have benefitted from Paul’s authoritative presence. Yet Paul says he was “prevented”.

He is saying that he was prevented by God. Yes, God did not clear the way for him to travel to Rome. God allowed Paul to experience roadblocks to his goal to reach Rome. Even though he did eventually get to Rome, as a prisoner, at the time of writing his letter to Rome he was unable to go there.

When we read about Paul’s missionary journeys in Acts, we see that he went through a lot as he traveled to spread the gospel. His intent is always to go to evangelize and to encourage the fledgling converts, but there are several times his plan is thwarted and diverted by the Holy Spirit.

We never, however, see Paul questioning God’s will. He is the master of the pivot. He just recalculates and goes where he is directed. So when he tells the Romans that he was “prevented”, he is not making an excuse or blaming God. He is explaining why he is not there yet.

As I looked at his explanation I still wondered why would God not allow Paul to go to Rome initially. I began to realize that the presence of the book of Romans answers that question. We would not have the book of Romans if God had allowed Paul to go when he wanted to. Paul had an opportunity to encourage many in Rome, face to face, but God said “No”. However, God allowed Paul to write what he would have said to the Romans so that many people for many centuries could receive that encouragement. So the “No” to Rome was really a “Yes” to us who now have the encouragement of the book of Romans.

This is something to remember when we experience a “No” from God. That “no” may be God’s way of saying yes to something of lasting value that we are as yet unaware of. Keep that in mind when you next want to blame him for holding you back from something you really want.

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