Tag: what shall I do?
“Who are You, Lord?”
Scripture reading for June 4: Acts 22
“”As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the One Who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.” Acts 22:6-10
Have you ever noticed how many questions there are in Scriptures? By one estimate, there are 183 questions in the Gospels alone. This is because God wants us to think and evaluate the answers so that we might chose to change our minds willingly. In this testimony of Paul, he again recounts his earlier life as a devout Jew who persecuted Christ’s followers. He was on his way to Damascus with arrest warrants for believers there when Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, then called Saul. A light shone around him and a voice asked him a penetrating question. He was addressed by name, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Paul (Saul) responded with another question: “Who are You, Lord?” Although Paul knew about Jesus Christ, he did not know Jesus Christ. Jesus wanted personal relationship. This conversation, although heard clearly by Paul, was not understood by those with him. As Paul processed this information, he must have come quickly to the conclusion that his world view of Jesus Christ was in error. His persecution of Christ’s followers was actually a persecution and rejection of Jesus! “What shall I do, Lord?” was the humble request of a heart changed! The result of this bright revelation of Jesus was blindness in Paul, needing to be led by the hand. He obediently followed to Damascus, awaiting instructions.
Have you ever been convinced something was true and found out that it definitely was not? Has a question ever caused you to think more deeply and reflect on your direction? What question would you have for Jesus if He appeared to you?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for desiring personal relationships with each of Your children. It is comforting to know that You ask us questions to help us find truth. Help me, as a teacher of Your Word to ask questions that probe the heart and draw people to Your Word and Jesus. Amen.
Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus.
Scripture reading for February 22nd: Acts 22, Psalm 38, Proverbs 7
Acts 22:6-11 “”As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the One Who was speaking to me. And I said ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and come into Damascus.”
The fierce Pharisee and persecutor of followers of Jesus was on his own way to Damascus with letters of authority to round up followers of Christ. God knew Paul’s heart and had plans to him. On the road in broad daylight, a great light shone around Paul and he was knocked off his horse to the ground. A voice, the Lord Jesus, spoke a question to him, speaking his name twice for emphasis. Paul responded with a question: “Who are Your, Lord?” Jesus revealed Himself to Paul and told him he was really persecuting Him. Paul’s next question: “What shall I do?” Jesus’ instructions were to go into Damascus and wait for further instructions. Paul was led by the hand because the bright light had left him without sight. God was revealing to Paul the darkness of sin in his life and the path of ‘Light’ in Jesus.
Psalm 38:9-10 “O Lord, all my longing is before You; my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes–it also has gone from me.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your patience with those who are sincerely misguided and under the control of darkness. Use me to help people in that state to find answers to “Who are You, Lord?” and “What shall I do?” Thank You for revealing Your Son’s identity, Jesus the Christ, to me and calling me to follow Jesus and shepherd Your people under Your master leadership. Let Your light shine brightly in me.
Proverbs 7:1 “My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; . . “
Assignment from Jesus!
Scripture reading for June 3rd: Acts 22
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Acts 22:6-11 “”About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute Me?’ “‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. “‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of Him who was speaking to me. “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.'”
Saul had been on a mission to hunt down and bring to justice those who followed Jesus Christ. He was on the road to Damascus when his journey was divinely interrupted by a flash of heavenly light that blinded him and got his attention. A voice spoke to him that revealed that it was Jesus of Nazareth! Jesus told Paul that his persecution of Christians was really persecution of Him! As Paul processed this, Paul asked Jesus what to do next. Jesus told him to go into Damascus and he would receive an assignment concerning what God wanted him to do. As he got up, his companions led him by the hand into Damascus.
Observations for over-comers: God knows how to get our attention and has assignments for each of His disciples. We must humbly ask the Lord what to do next and He will show us! “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness, for His names’s sake.” (Psalm 23:1-3)