Kicking Against The Goads
"As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 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.” (Acts 9:3-5)
No one knew better than the apostle Paul, how one can be hurt in order to be set straight concerning the will of God. Sometimes it takes an experience so severe, to get our attention, and set us on the right track of God's will for our lives.
Paul had gone to the high priest (Caiaphas) to obtain letters of permission to go into the synagogues to find any who may be of the the way (those of the Christian movement) to destroy them. He had intense hatred towards Christians.
Paul and his band were on their way to Damascus, when his life would be turned upside down. A light from heaven shown so brightly from heaven, that it blinded him. And the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, was so direct. "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Paul in his affliction, asks, "Who are you Lord?" In our trials and afflictions, don't we ask of the Lord, "are You doing this to me?" "And why are you doing this to me?"
The Lord Identifies Himself, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." And then the Lord makes a striking statement. "It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” A goad was a long, extremely sharp stick used to get an ox going the way you wanted when plowing. One jabbed the hind legs of the ox with the goad until the ox cooperated.
There are times we get so head-strong in our selfish pursuits, that we fail to recognize the will of God for our lives. There are times when the Lord has to break us, in order to make us aware of what He wants us to do in our lives.
In all of our activity and pursuits, we must ask the questions: Is this the will of God for my life? Am I accomplishing what He would have me to do? Or am I stubbornly, steadfastly, doing what I want to do.
Some may be very resentful of the hurt caused by the Lord, in order to correct their direction. But we must remember that the Lord has our best interests at heart. And also He has a specific purpose for each our lives.
We should not be surprised, that when we get off the grid of His will, God will do whatever it takes to get us back on track. I have heard it said that a shepherd will break the front leg of a defiant sheep to teach it to not go astray. Our very good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, may hurt us in order to help us. If that happens, be thankful, and begin the process of submission to the will of God for your life.
GP
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