When God Interrupts Your Direction
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Rev. Charles Oppong-Poku | April 16 2026 | Acts 26:12-15
KEY VERSE:
“. . . Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:14, NKJV)
MESSAGE:
In the previous devotional, we saw how zeal without truth can lead us away from God. Now Paul recounts the defining moment that changed everything, his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. What began as a journey in opposition to Christ became a merciful interruption that confronted Paul and redirected him. This passage reminds us that God steps into our path to redirect our lives. The passage teaches us the following three important lessons.
God Interrupts Our Wrong Direction with Grace: Paul was on a mission against Jesus Christ when Christ met him. God stepped into Paul’s path to redirect him. Often, what we perceive as disruption, unexpected events, broken plans, or sudden realisations may actually be God’s gracious intervention to realign us with His will. God loves us too much to let us continue unchecked in the wrong direction.
Resisting God Makes the Journey Harder: Jesus tells Paul, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” A goad was a sharp instrument used to guide animals. Resistance only caused more pain. When we resist God’s direction, we make our own struggle heavier. The tension, frustration, and unrest we experience are often signs that we are pushing against divine guidance.
Jesus Calls Us Personally and Confronts Us Lovingly: “Saul, Saul...” Jesus calls Paul by name. This is deeply personal. It is also corrective: “Why are you persecuting Me?” God’s call is intimate and searching. He knows us fully and continues His work of change in us. Every true encounter with Jesus Christ reveals who we are and calls us to become. Grace works through truth to transform us.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
What feels like an interruption may be God’s invitation to a new direction. Pay attention to the interruptions in your life. God may be speaking through them. Respond quickly when He calls your name, and do not harden your heart.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for loving me enough to interrupt my wrong paths. Help me to recognise Your voice when You speak and to respond without resistance. Where I have been stubborn, soften my heart. Redirect my life according to Your will and give me the courage to follow You fully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING
DAILY word study: PERSECUTING Diōkō is the Greek word behind persecuting in Acts 26:14. It can mean to pursue, press after, or actively hunt down. In this passage, it carries the sense of a hostile pursuit against Jesus and His people.
When Jesus asked, “Why are you persecuting Me?” He showed Paul that his actions against believers were actions against Christ Himself. This reveals how deeply Jesus identifies with His people. It also shows how serious it is to move in zeal without truth.
Reflect on this:
Is there any area where your passion is moving ahead of Christ’s will? Ask the Lord to search your heart, correct your direction, and lead you in His truth.
