“Lord, what do you want me to do?” (Acts 9:6, NKJ)
Saul was seen throughout Israel as a religious man to be emulated (consider his exemplary religious credentials in Phil 3:4-6). He adhered strictly to the law and, as a Pharisee, he focused zealously on living out and protecting his religion. Then one day, quite unexpectedly, he had an experience with the Living God and His religion fell off his eyes like scales (Acts 9:18). And, all of a sudden, all his religious faithfulness up until that point meant absolutely nothing. Nothing. Thus he says in Phil 3:8 that he had to give up everything and consider it all rubbish. Thayer explains the word “rubbish” as follows: “any refuse, as the excrement of animals, offscourings, rubbish, dregs … things worthless and detestable”. This is hardly a description that minces words.
For someone who has not yet had a meeting with the Living God, all religious activities and rituals are usually rubbish, even dung. The world is filled with people who want to serve God by means of all kinds of rituals, programmes and activities, but these have nothing to do with God. Religion feeds on the tree of knowledge of good and evil – in religion there are pretty things that taste nice – the good part – but just like the fruits of evil – they only bring about death (Gen 2:17). They have the smell of decomposition. Religion requires constant self-improvement.
Saul was like the young Samuel: “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.” (1 Sam 3:7). The revelation of Jesus Christ comes when you hear His call to you. With Saul it happened like this: “As he journeyed he came near Damascus and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’” (Acts 9:3-5).
As you hear him call, you are invited to follow Him so that you “may know Him” (Phil 3:10). And the first question that you ask is: Lord, what do you want me to do
- Sela: Make sure that you have heard His call and that you haven’t fallen into a system of religiosity. And ask the question: Lord what do you want me to do?
- Read: Gen 4; Ps 4; John 4
- Memorise: John 4:23-24
