What will You have me do, Lord?

Paul was HAPPILY on his way to another city to capture and imprison Christ followers. I can even imagine him boasting to those in his group, maybe not boasting so much as sharing his eagerness to get to Damascus so he could begin purging it of blasphemers all in God's name, all with God's approval. Then to suddenly be stopped just shy of his goal by a HEAVENLY light, and a HEAVENLY voice asking him why he was persecuting GOD Himself! How shocking that must have been!
 

Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

Paul knew it was God but he didn't know it was Jesus, God's Son.  Who are you? He had to know, He had to hear the words. Who was stopping him from getting to Damascus?

The Lord answered clearly-  I AM JESUS WHOM THOU PERSECUTEST.

Jesus???  But, but… no… Jesus?! Jesus was shining this heavenly light upon him, this light greater than the light of the very sun in the sky?! Jesus who he was fighting to erase from history. Jesus who had followers he was seeking to imprison. Jesus who had a staunch follower in Stephen and who Paul had a part in murdering. Jesus, the great blasphemer Himself. Jesus the one He happily heard and most likely witnessed crucified!  Jesus! JESUS!

Jesus didn't stop there he added-  It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks- when in the language of the day meant-  'The idea is, that he is injuring himself, like the ox that kicks back on the goads used to urge him forward.'  (Commentator B.W. Johnson)

Jesus was telling Him outright that by his actions Paul was HURTING himself in God's eyes, not doing the work of God. 

Just imagine the shock Paul had to feel. He truly believed he was doing God's work! He did! He was! And now to find out that all he'd done was wrong?! That justifiable murder of a blasphemer (Stephen) the justifiable murder of the chief of blasphemers (Jesus crucified), was WRONG! Paul was being told that they weren't blasphemers at all, but truly of GOD! God's ONLY BEGOTTEN SON- CRUCIFIED!?  Just imagine the enormity of realization hitting Paul all at once. Everything he believed was true and good was WRONG! He was hurting his own spiritual life by the path he was on, totally opposite of all he'd believed!

Act 9:6  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

Paul trembled, Paul was astonished.  I can only imagine the violent shaking of his trembling, the depths of his astonishment!  Paul didn't doubt any more who was speaking to him, he was enveloped in divine light from the Savior Himself, he was being spoken to by the Lord Himself! And true to the depths of his desire to follow God and God alone and not man- he asked…

Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?!

He wanted to do God's will! That's what Paul wanted more than anything else.

Act 9:6 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

Act 9:7  And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 

Act 9:8  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 

Arise, go to the city- then he'd be told what he had to do. 

Paul heard this clearly and the light was gone, Jesus was gone, and those around him that hard the voice but saw no one, were all speechless. They'd witnessed the miracle, what could they say about that?!

Paul rose up from where he'd fallen and we was blind.

Blinded by the light of the Lord. Told he was wrong, so very wrong for persecuting Christ followers. Paul's entire world was rocked violently.

Act 22:6  And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 

Act 26:9  I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 

Act 26:12  Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 

Act 26:13  At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 

Act 26:14  And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

Act 26:15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 

Act 26:16  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 

Act 26:17  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 

Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 

Paul was told by JESUS-

He would be made a minister, he would be made a witness of all he heard and seen, and see more things in the future and he would have to minister and witness of those as well.  Paul would be responsible for opening the eyes of the people, and of the gentiles. Paul would teach them so they would be turned from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, how to be forgiven of their sins, how they would receive an inheritance found in those sanctified by faith in JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

Paul was told to go to the city and he would be told more.

Paul had SO MUCH to think about!

Blinded, reprimanded, entreated, Paul was all these things- Paul was being taught instantly that to believe in the LORD would do ALL those things for Him that He would teach others.

Just, please, please take a moment and think of the magnitude of all that happened to Paul.

And now… think of the longsuffering of our Savior to take one like Paul, so set on destroying all that He stood for, so set on destroying the way to salvation itself, and yet, Jesus knew Paul's heart. Jesus could forgive ALL that Paul had done. The longsuffering of the LORD is so amazing and we must look at Paul, and the example of our Savior's longsuffering towards us.

More on this tomorrow, by the WILL of the LORD, our SAVIOR, Jesus Christ now and forever!!!!!!!