Acts 9:6-9 Saul is trembling and astonished

Good morning all.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  Thank you for your prayers for Erin Gerometta.  She is home recovering at this time.

   Okay, remember, Saul has a letter in hand, going to Damascus to "squelch" the "way", the Christians, bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.  Suddenly, on the road this brilliant light comes forth,  This light blinds Saul and SPEAKS to Saul.  The brilliant light asks, "why doeth thou persecute me", yes, Saul is trembling, astonished and asks who this is. The light speaks and says, "I am Jesus ......"

   Acts 9: ⁶ And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

  Now, Saul is scared, almost to death, and asks what would Jesus want him to do.  Jesus only gives him a command - get up, go into the city and instructions will follow.  Wow!!! What a "COME TO JESUS MEETING THIS WAS!!"

  ⁷ And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

   The other men with Saul were speechless.  Now here is says "hearing a voice" but if you will study the Greek this is the verb akouo , which means to hear something. In Luke 22:9 he says they heard not the voice.  The men with Saul heard something, but did not understand it.  Basically it would be just sounds they hear, but did not understand what was being said.  You might compare it to our hearing Vietnamese, we hear sounds, but understand nothing. :)

  ⁸ And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

  When Saul got up off the ground, opened his eyes, he was BLIND.  The men with him led him into Damascus (where he was on a mission to eliminate "The Way").  

   ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

Can you imagine the fear that was within Saul, being 3 days unable to see and so distraught that he did not eat or drink?  Wow!  In 2 Corthinians 12:1-4 Paul mentions this experience.  Saul is probably thinking what is happening, what did I do?  I am only doing God's work.  Why am I blind?  OR, maybe, the experience caused him to re-evaluate his position and what he thought he was doing was in God's will.  

   A good lesson for us. Am I doing God's will, or gods will?  Yes, there is a difference - one being spiritual and one being secular (of the world).  Do you truly love your neighbor or just tolerate them? Are you doing God's will or your will?  Food for thought. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny