"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'
"And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
"Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'—Acts 22:6-16 (emphasis mine)
I attended my church’s Wednesday night bible study last night and was, as always, blessed by not only the verse by verse teaching but also by its application. We studied Acts 22 where Paul, after being arrested (and protected from the Jewish mob by the Roman authorities) gains the opportunity to speak to them from atop the steps of the Roman garrison. It is from here that he evangelizes, defends and preaches to the still angry mob of his conversion experience and God’s subsequent working in His life.
With that said the application in Paul’s message for me consisted of the words underlined in the passage of Scripture above.
So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord? - Always a good prayer.
Father…keep my eyes on You…I don’t know what to do. Make my way clear before my face. Guide me with Your counsel, surround me with Your grace, follow me with Your goodness and cover all my missteps with mercy.
And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. - Hand in hand with the Lord is always the best way to travel.
Father…Give me a heart that desires to be led by You and You alone. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Thank you that You lead us through this life by placing our hand in Yours. You are the same yesterday, today and forever. As you did for Paul, You do also for each of us. With You there is no partiality. Step by step you guide us in the works You have prepared for us before the foundation of the world.
Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
Like Paul we are chosen for God’s purposes. He desires us to KNOW His will, to SEE Him, and to HEAR the voice of His mouth. He wants us, like Paul, to be His witnesses as we walk through this life.
It must have seemed at times to Paul, in gauging the violent reactions of the crowds he preached to, that he was doing it all wrong. But You in Your mercy say this to Paul in the very next chapter.
On the following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Be brave; for as you have solemnly and faithfully witnessed about Me at Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome."—Acts 23:11
Paraphrasing…You did good, Paul. You stood for me. Here is the next step. You are going to be my witness in Rome as well.
Father…I want to be led by You…I want to always be in the very center of Your will. May Your word be more important to my heart than my necessary food. May my life also be one of continual prayer, worship and thanksgiving.
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' - Best practice after the Lord speaks…obey immediately.
Oh Father! Help us to be faithful…to be brave and strong. Let all that we do be done in love. Lead us by Your Spirit! May we,also be Your faithful witnesses. Shepherd our hearts and teach us Your statutes. Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us and escort us through this life one precious moment at a time. Grant us according to our heart’s desire and fulfill all Your purpose. Hear our prayers and fulfill our petitions. Thank you that the great and precious promises Peter speaks of in 2 Peter are ours as well.
Leaving a portion of 2 Peter from the Amplified Bible here…
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received and possess [by God's will] a precious faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be multiplied to you in the [true, intimate] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature.
For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, [develop Christian] love [that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit]. For as these qualities are yours and are increasing [in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity], they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is blind—shortsighted [closing his spiritual eyes to the truth], having become oblivious to the fact that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God]; for by doing these things [actively developing these virtues], you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin]; for in this way entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided to you.—2 Peter 1:1-11 AMP
