“You Will Be Told What You Must Do”

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

Acts 9:1-9

Saul found himself in a difficult place, needing to make a decision after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. Suddenly, the location and direction of his life was revealed to him as a mistake, his prior life perhaps even feeling like a waste. Moving forward would be difficult and would require hard and uncomfortable work, perhaps even facing the Christian families whose lives he had torn apart. But he responded, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

We often find ourselves in unexpected places, places we never planned nor wanted to be. We may be drowning in debt, inhibited by no job, or suffering under the weight of life’s consequences. Jesus Christ finds us in a prison cell or a palace, broken and broke or absorbed in our own selfish desires. Scripture tells us to heed God’s advice to forget what lies behind and to press forward to Christ. The past is no barrier to moving forward with Him.

It’s not too late for a fresh start.

Our Daily Bread – June 6, 2015