“We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” (Acts 26:14 NIV)
Saul was a zealous Jew, determined to eliminate all who followed Jesus. He was convinced that by doing so he was serving God, because he believed Jesus was a deceiver. But one day his life came to an abrupt halt. A brilliant light surrounded him and his traveling companions, and a voice spoke from heaven. It was Jesus Himself, appearing to Saul and confronting him.
Jesus compared Saul to a stubborn ox. In those days, oxen were used to pull a plow through the fields. If an ox wandered off course or refused to move, the farmer would urge it on with a goad—a sharp stick. The ox could resist by kicking against the goad, but in doing so it would only injure itself. Its resistance was both futile and self-destructive.
The message to Saul was unmistakable: by opposing Jesus, he was opposing God Himself. It was a battle he could never win, and one that would only bring harm to himself.
Saul took Jesus’ words to heart. He repented, became a follower of Christ, and devoted the rest of his life to serving Him.
What about you? Are you allowing God to lead your life, or are you, like that stubborn ox, resisting His guidance? How does that show in your life?