Submitting to Divine Plan and Purpose
Study Text: Acts 9: 1 - 6
Introduction:
- God, our gracious heavenly Father, has a perfect, accurate and detailed plan for each Christian.
- Saul conversion did not happen by chance, there was a divine plan and purpose. Acts 9:15
- God had purposed that Saul will be a vessel in His hands to reach out to the Gentiles. But Saul was pursuing his own agenda outside the will of God and His perfect plan for his life.
- How can we discover the will of God and His perfect plans for our lives. There are three important questions seen in the scriptural texts, which must be properly addressed in order to walk in the will of God and His perfect plans for our lives.
- One question was asked by the Lord Himself, while two questions were asked by Saul.
1. Why are You Persecuting Me?
2. Who are You Lord?
3. What will You Have Me to Do
1. Why are You Persecuting Me?
- The Lord asked Saul, why are you persecuting me, why are you walking outside my will and my perfect plans for your life?
- God is not pleased when we are unable to discover and walk in His will and perfect plans for our lives, and He is asking us similar question that needs to be properly addressed.
- Different people have different reasons why they are walking contrary to the will of God and perfect plans for their lives. But whatever the reason, none is acceptable unto God.
- God has a plan for the life of every one of His children.
How can this be true? The Bible is full of several examples of His plans and purposes for His people.
- Abraham (Hebrews 11:8-10); Moses (Hebrews 11:24-27); David (1 Chronicles 17:7); Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8); Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5-8); Paul (Acts 9:15). These are just a few examples. God’s plan has three very important characteristics.
1. It is a personal plan.
- There is no one else in the world like you, God’s plan for you is unique. He has a purpose to fulfil in and with your life that cannot be fulfilled in the life of any other person.
2. It is a perfect plan.
- In Romans 12: 1-2, we are told that the will of God, or God’s plan and purpose in the lives of His children, is good and acceptable and perfect.
3. It is a practicable plan.
- In other words, it is workable and thoroughly related to everyday living and service.
- It is not a plan that only sounds good and acceptable and perfect theoretically; it proves to be so in actual day by day experience.
2. Who are You Lord?
- Paul asked this question from the Lord, when his personal plans and pursuits was interrupted by the Lord.
- Our first concern should be to discover God’s plan for our life, and the necessary condition is that we must first established a personal relationship with God.
-- We need to know who He is before we can discover what He wants. Not just knowing about Him, but having a healthy intimate relationship with Him.
- It is sadly true that some Christians fail to discover God’s plan and find their days, weeks, months and years are filled with disappointment, defeat, frustration and failure.
- How wonderful it is to feel that we are achieving something worthwhile, not for ourselves, but for and in accordance with the will of our heavenly Father.
- Every unbeliever is living a life outside the will of God, as Saul was until the time of his conversion (Acts 9:5); but it is also sadly true that many Christians plan their own lives. We make decisions and choices which are outside the will and perfect plans of God for our lives. John 21:3.
- There is nothing greater or more comforting than to know that we are in the centre of God’s will. We enter God’s plan when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
- Saul entered the plan of God when he asked Who are You Lord. The Lord revealed Himself to Saul “I am Jesus…”, i.e. Saviour.
- It does not mean He was not interested in Saul or not watching over him prior to his conversion, but He had an eternal purpose for him. Saul entered into God’s plan when he bowed at the feet of the Risen Lord, accepted Him as Saviour and acknowledged Him as Lord.
3. What will You Have Me to Do?
- Saul asked this question from the Lord: What will you have me to do. This should be our daily experience after surrendering to Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
- All who belong to the Lord, of any age, have a glorious eternity before them, and God’s plan has an earthly part which is like the foundation of a building, and a heavenly part which can be likened to the structure of the building.
- We continue in God’s plan by daily obedience to His revealed will. God reveals His plan to us step by step (Psalm 37:23).
- The human condition that has to be met if we are to know His will increasingly is total submission and a strong desire to obey Him.
- This is indicated in Saul’s question (Acts 9:6), and this enquiry as to what God’s will is involves four things:-
1. Communion with Him in Prayer.
- A suitable prayer is recorded in Psalm 27:11. It is when we know what it is to go regularly into that place alone with the Lord that He graciously reveals His plan to us step by step.
2. Delight in, and Meditation in His Word. Psalms 1:2
- We receive divine guidance as we read and submit our lives to the commands and guidance of the Word of God Psalm 119:105.
3. Complete Obedience without Question.
- God reveals His will to us more and more as we walk in complete Obedience without question to His already revealed will. 1 Samuel 15:22.
4. Absolute Trust in God. Proverbs 3: 5 - 8
- We need to trust God absolutely for us to know His will and perfect plans for our lives. He gives us directions as we lean on Him and trust His guidance.
- The Lord spoke of Saul as a “chosen vessel”, and Saul had to trust Him in all that He permitted in his life in the way of suffering, stoning, imprisonment etc. 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, 1 Peter 4:12-13 and 19.
Conclusion:
- As soon as Paul saw the light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, he said, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”
- And as soon as he was willing to yield he was in a condition where God could meet his need; where God could display His power; where God could use him for His own glory.
- Oh, beloved, are you saying today, “What wilt thou have me to do?” The place of yielding and submissiveness is just where God wants us. God wants us to reconsider our lives and our ways, and to return to Him.
- The main thing today that God wants is obedience. When you begin yielding and yielding to God He has a plan for your life.
- Making the right choice will bring a sense of inner Peace and tranquility, but making the wrong choice will make you feel troubled and restless.
