Surrendering to Grace (Acts 26:14–15)

And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
– Acts 26:14–15

There’s so much here. This is Paul recounting when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. But what I want to camp out on is this phrase that Jesus says to Paul or Saul in that moment, “Why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads”. And basically, that’s a phrase that describes how Paul was working against Jesus. And not just against Jesus, but against Jesus’ good work in his life and in others’ lives.

Acts 26:14–15 invites us to reflect on our walk with God.

In other words, Paul was resisting the good work that God wanted to do in his life. And as I read that phrase, I just think about ways that I have kicked against the goads. I think about ways that I have worked against good work that God wants to do in my life. How I’ve been resistant, how I’ve been rebellious, how I have been stubborn in not doing what God is calling me to do.

And I just want to ask you the question today, is there any way right now that you are resisting God’s good work in your life, that you’re pushing back? And this could be just by sinning. This could be by disobeying Him. Let’s just take inventory of our lives. Is there any area where you or I are walking in disobedience to God, where we’re doing what God has said not to do?

Or are there any areas where we’re not doing what God has said to do so? Sins of commission, sins of omission? But then also think through, as we think about different circumstances in our lives. We know Romans 8, God promises to work everything together for our good. Are we pushing back on God and continually saying, “God, change this. God, do that.”? In a way that we’re actually resisting the good work God is doing through our circumstances?

Acts 26:14–15 challenges us to surrender to God’s will for our lives.

Let’s just pray that God would help us to trust in Him today, to obey Him. Yes, to not resist His Word in our lives. And to not resist all the good work– Romans 8– which may include hard work that He’s doing in our lives. That we would just rest in Him. Let’s pray. God, we don’t want to resist in any way Your good work in our lives today, in our lives right now.

Amidst all we’re walking through, amidst every facet of our lives, God, we pray that we would be as clay in Your hands. That as our Potter, You would mold us and make us however You want. We pray that we would be soft clay, we pray for humility in our lives. We pray God for humility to obey Your Word today, to walk in obedience to You, not to go in any way against Your Word today. God, we pray to You to help us to do all that You call us to do today. Help us not to hold back from doing anything and everything You call us to do today.

God, we trust You amidst the circumstances we’re walking through right now. And we pray that You would work all these things together for our good. And that we would not work against You in any way. That we would not doubt Your goodness and Your good work in our lives, that we would trust in You and that You would do all that You desire to do in us and through us today.

God, we want to be as clay in Your hands, moldable. We don’t want to kick against You, resist You in any way. So please help us, God, not to kick against the goads.

A Prayer for those that Persecute the cHURCH.

And God, even as we pray this verse. In light of where Saul was at that point and the transformation You were bringing in his life, we pray for that transformation among Sauls around the world. We pray specifically today for anyone who is persecuting Your Church, for leaders who are persecuting Your Church right now. God, we pray, save them just like You saved Saul. We pray that You would bring that about, and we’re uniting our hearts and our voices right now. Please bring about Saul-like conversions today among prosecutors of the Church in North Korea. We pray for this in Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iran. We pray for Saul-like conversion somewhere in the world today. Oh God, please stop them from kicking against the goads even as we pray that You would keep us from doing the same in our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.