When Paul met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus (circa 37 AD) he asked this pivotal question: “Lord, what do You want me to do” (Acts 9:6)? The Lord answered in simple terms and, rather than allowing the pride of his lofty position to cloud his judgment, Paul simply obeyed what he was told. Days later, his encounter with Ananias (Acts 9:10-20) set him on a course that would define the rest of his life. At every crossroads, we find him asking and obeying the same question he asked the day he first met Christ as his Lord. Beloved reader, we can do no less, nor do any better ourselves.
Some seek a grandiose master plan for their lives, yet in reality, our Lord often asks us simply to obey Him in the small, daily things. We are prone to think that bigger is better, but it is the Lord’s prerogative to decide what is best. In secular employment, the employer sets out the job description, not the employee. Likewise, it is always our Master’s prerogative to change the job description according to His purposes, often without explanation.
When Philip the Evangelist was seeing the Lord’s blessing in Samaria (Acts 8:5-8), he may have wondered why the Lord would ask Him to leave and travel south toward the Gaza desert (Acts 8:26). Had the Lord decided to set him aside for some reason? Was there something wrong with the work he was doing? Was he somehow being punished for something he had done wrong? Any one of us might understandably have asked such questions, but not Philip. We read that “he arose and went” (Acts 8:27) without having any notion of why. His Lord and Master had spoken to him, and his sole responsibility was to obey.
His encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch resulted in a saved man returning home to his own people with the life-changing message of the gospel. Imagine the potential loss if Philip had not obeyed! Others may look down on a humble servant of the Lord Jesus for living in such an obedient way, but that does not mean that those who judge have some spiritual insight which should cause us concern. The heart of a true servant is revealed by how he or she reacts when someone treats them like the servant they really are.
We have heard the Macedonian call today:
Send the light! Send the light!1
This line from Charles Gabriel’s hymn references another occasion when Paul acted upon his Acts 9:6 question. Having begun his plans to head toward the province of Bithynia, the Lord sent a man to visit Paul in his dreams with a simple request: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” (Acts 16:9). The next verse records Paul’s obedient response with the adverb “immediately.” Following several years of gospel outreach in Macedonia, Achaia, and Greece, it is clear that the Lord’s plans were broader in scope than Paul may have realized. His willingness to go where the Lord was sending him was enough for Paul and it surely should be enough for us as well.
Where is your Macedonia? Where is my Macedonia? It may be a Samaritan woman by a well (John 4) or someone in the grocery store line. It may be a blind Bartimaeus by the roadside (Mark 10) or someone in a doctor’s office. It may be sharing a meal with a leprous Simon in his home (Matt. 26) or visiting someone who simply longs for company. The true question is this: when we ask the Master what He would have us do, do we ask with the intention and resolve to actually obey? The Israelites of old responded to Moses’ instructions from Jehovah by saying, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Ex. 19:8). Should we not go a step further and say, “All that the LORD will speak, we will do?” Does it matter what the task is, as long as we are doing it unto Him?
Help me in all the work I do, to ever be sincere and true;
And know that all I’d do for you, must needs be done for others.2
There is a tendency within us to strive for greatness, to aspire to something bigger, or to seek a higher calling. The flaw is that we often measure these goals in human terms, not from our Master’s perspective. His “Well done!” is bestowed upon those who are faithful, not necessarily upon those who have done great things. “And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not…” (Jer. 45:5).
The flip side of this is that we may look down on small things, using the same flawed human standards. When the Lord’s hand is in any work to which He calls us, we must never despise it (Zech. 4:10) simply because we think it is too insignificant to be bothered with. We are infinitesimally small, yet He “bothered” with us!
As we each individually ask our Master the Acts 9:6 question, it is wise to consider whom we are addressing. He was called by Jehovah to be His Servant (Isa. 42:1, 52:13) and demonstrated this continually by always doing what pleased the Father (John 8:29). His meek and lowly character consistently shone forth, confounding those who expected a majestic Messiah rather than a suffering Savior. “We will not have this Man to reign over us!” they protested (Luke 19:14). It is often said that the best followers make for the best leaders. Our Lord Jesus Christ exemplified perfect servanthood and is the perfect Master (Col. 4:1).
That Macedonian call initially opened the door for the gospel in Phillipi. There a Jewish dye merchant, a demon-possessed Greek servant girl, and a Roman prison guard all came to know the Lord Jesus as Savior. In a city of that size, it is highly unlikely that any of these three would ever have met, given their vastly different circumstances. Yet once they were united in Christ, an eternal bond was formed that cannot be broken. When we present the Lord Jesus Christ to others, we also offer them a heavenly fellowship here on earth, which has no equal among the many man-made associations.
From these humble beginnings, the message of salvation reached all of Macedonia, Achaia, and Greece. And from this seedbed, the gospel spread throughout Europe, eventually reaching us today. When the Master calls, immediate obedience is the best response. We may never know the far-reaching results of yielding to Him, but that is not our concern. With this in mind, we go to our Macedonia, wherever that may be.
Master, speak! And make me ready,
When Thy voice is truly heard,
With obedience glad and steady, still to follow every word.
I am listening, Lord, for Thee: Master, speak, O speak to me!3
ENDNOTES
1. “Send the Light” by Charles H. Gabriel
2. “Others” by Charles D. Meigs
3. “Master, Speak! Thy Servant Heareth” by Frances R. Havergal