Acts 9:5: “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.'”

April 6th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Acts 9 records the conversion of Saul, the Apostle Paul. As he was traveling to Damascus, where he intended to hunt down and kill those who were following the Lord, a light from heaven surrounded him and he fell from his horse. He heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). His response is very interesting; he asked, “Who are you, Lord?” This suggests that he realized he was dealing with deity.

The second part of Jesus statement to Saul brings a smile to our face every time we read it. Perhaps it is because it sounds so much like our own personal encounters with God: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” It is hard on us when we try to resist God’s leading. Having been an atheist scientist during the early part of my adult life, I can fully appreciate the irony here in the Lord’s statement. Many of us who are believers today once spent a lot of our time struggling and kicking against God’s dealings in our lives. We are certainly a headstrong, rebellious species, aren’t we?

No doubt the Holy Spirit had been pricking and goading Saul’s conscience for a long while. Saul was bent on doing everything in his power to stop the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to arrest or kill His followers. But suddenly a blinding flash of light knocked him off his high horse. Aren’t you glad that God knows how to get our attention! God showed up and interrupted Saul’s plans. He let go one laser beam of light from the throne room of heaven and knocked this misguided human to the ground. In a blinding flash, all of the education, plans, and hatred that had been controlling him were erased. Saul, who was pursuing, suddenly became the one pursued. God Almighty had hunted down the hunter, effortlessly bringing down His prey.

Saul had known well the voice of religion, but now, for the first time, he heard the voice of relationship with God. This same voice speaks these words to each of us, “This is My will for your life; do it now.” We must chose not to kick against the goads; it will only bring us frustration and pain. We need to choose now, today, to submit to God’s will. If we do, then someday soon we will hear that same Voice say to us, “Well done My good and faithful servant.” How we want to hear those words and that Voice clearly.

“LORD, we want to know Your voice today. Please give us ears to hear You above the noise of the crowd.”