Verse:
Acts 9:3-6
…Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Devotional Thoughts:
It’s so interesting to read the biblical encounters where God steps in and reveals himself to people. To Moses, that was in the form of a burning bush – and Moses’ responded with fear and reluctance. To Paul, that was in the form of a great light, a light apparently brighter than the sun (Acts 26:13) – and Paul responds in the best way anyone possibly could. He asks two questions: Who are you, Lord? And then, Lord, what do you want me to do?
We know that God guides His people. We know that God has works planned out for us to do. He has a plan and purpose for our lives. We know these things, and many times we wish that God would just show us the way. Instead of only showing us the next turn when it gets here, can you just show us the roadmap? Show us the big picture view – we want the MapQuest version to look at.
But God doesn’t operate like that. He guides us, and tells us to trust Him. Today, we know of Paul not as Saul the Persecutor, but rather as the Apostle Paul – the author of much of the New Testament, the Apostle to the Gentiles, the greatest missionary of all time.
But on this particular day, Saul didn’t know anything about all of that. All he knew was that Jesus told him to go into the city.
So he went.
Points to Ponder:
Read Psalm 32:8
God has a plan for our lives. Why does God guide us through each individual step rather than reveal to us the overall journey?
Why would God give us more light, more understanding, more insight, if we’re not obeying the things He’s already commanded us to do?
Where is God giving you direction even now?
