It Hurts

Readings:
II Chronicles 21
Acts 26:1-23

Focus:
Acts 26:14b: "It hurts to kick like this against the goad."

When Paul is telling the story of his conversion to King Agrippa, he mentions that when he had the vision of Jesus on the Damascus road, that Jesus says to him, "It hurts to kick like this against the goad."

Jesus was saying to Paul that when he acted contrary to what God wanted, it actually hurt Paul. Paul (or Saul as he was then called) was working hard to do what he thought was right, but it did not actually lead to peace and happiness for him; it ultimately led to unrest, sorrow, and pain. The only way to find true peace and joy is by following God's way.

People may think that they know the best way to find happiness, and that they don't need to think about what God wants. But it hurts to kick against the goad. The only way to get rid of the hurt is to turn our lives over to God and do what he wants. What he wants is actually what will make us happiest, and we will never be sorry.