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Servants of God are given special messages by the Lord to communicate them to others. Essentially, these messages are not given just to be known but to be obeyed.
Check throughout the Bible; everyone God called was given a specific instruction to achieve God’s definitive purpose.
When God called Abraham, He instructed him to leave his country, people and his father’s household to the land He would show him. And Abraham heard and obeyed God’s voice (Genesis chapter 12).
When God called Moses, He told him He was sending him to Pharaoh to bring His people, the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10).
Moreover, when the only wise God called Isaiah, He ordered Him to, “Go and tell this people (Israelites), “Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving” (Isaiah 6:9).
Do you also recall what the Creator told Ezekiel? God told the Prophet: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me…You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious” (Ezekiel 2:3-6).
During His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ ordered His ministers to go and make disciples, baptise and teach them His commands (Matthew 28:18-20).
Similarly, before the apostle Paul started his apostolic ministry, he had first learnt to hear and obey a heavenly and voice.
Hearing and obeying divine instructions of God are the pivot around which successful ministry revolves. Thus, Paul told King Agrippa:
“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I WAS NOT DISOBEDIENT to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19).
Paul knew what he was expected to do because he clearly heard and obeyed divine instructions from Christ Jesus. And what was the heavenly vision that was given to Paul to inspire him?
“…I HEARD A VOICE SAYING TO ME in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles – to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:14-18).
Paul heard the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ and he gladly obeyed it. To sincerely hear the voice of our Master is to hear His words of wisdom, love, peace and salvation.
Paul was appointed to be a servant and witness to the things Christ Jesus showed him. He was assured of deliverance from troubles he would face through his apostolic duties.
The main task given to Paul was to go to the Gentile world, and open the eyes of people to turn from sin to righteousness and from the power of Satan to God.
That he should do so that his hearers might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in Christ the Lord.
By James Quansah
