What does "kicking against the goads" teach about resisting God's will? The Scene on the Damascus Road Acts 26:14: “And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice say to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” Saul, intent on stamping out the church, is confronted by the risen Christ. The Lord’s single sentence explains why Saul’s feverish campaign is futile and self-destructive. The Picture of the Goad • A goad was a long, pointed rod used by farmers to prod stubborn oxen forward. • When an ox kicked back at the goad, the only result was deeper pain for the animal; the goad stayed put in the farmer’s steady hand. • Jesus applies this common image to Saul: every persecuting stride was a backward kick that gashed his own soul. Why Resisting Hurts Us, Not God • God’s purposes stand firm—Isaiah 46:10, “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” • Our opposition cannot overturn His will; it only intensifies our turmoil. • Psalm 32:9 warns, “Do not be like the horse or mule without understanding, which must be controlled with bit and bridle.” Kicking brings bruises, not victory. How God Uses Goads in Our Lives Consider a few “goads” the Lord may employ: - Inner conviction: the Holy Spirit pricking the conscience (John 16:8). - Loving discipline: hardships that steer us back—Hebrews 12:5-6. - Scriptural truth: piercing reminders of what God has said—Hebrews 4:12. - God-sent messengers: believers who speak truth at just the right time (Galatians 4:16). Each prod is an act of mercy, not punishment. The sooner we yield, the sooner the sting subsides. Scriptural Echoes • Jonah 1–3: Running from Nineveh only landed Jonah in a storm and a fish; God’s call remained unchanged. • Proverbs 3:11-12: “Do not despise the LORD’s discipline… because the LORD disciplines the one He loves.” • 2 Chronicles 33:10-13: Manasseh resisted until foreign chains became God’s goad, leading him to repentance. Surrender: The Only Safe Response • Saul’s immediate surrender—“Lord, what shall I do?” (Acts 22:10)—turned resistance into usefulness. • Yielding transforms the goad from a sharp stick into a guiding staff (Psalm 23:4). • God’s will is not merely irresistible; it is invariably good—Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28. Takeaway Summary “Kicking against the goads” teaches that resisting God’s will never thwarts His plan; it only multiplies our own pain. His persistent prods are expressions of love designed to redirect us into the safety, joy, and fruitfulness of wholehearted obedience. |
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