"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Acts 22:6-11

Paul was headed to Damascus to find and arrest Christians and to bring them back to Jerusalem for the crime of following Jesus. “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel, that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).

God’s plan was to interrupt Paul’s misguided and sinful intentions. God’s plan was for Jesus to appear to Paul in a blinding light (a literal blinding light!). God’s plan was for Paul, now humbled, blinded, and converted, to proceed to Damascus—but with an entirely different agenda—God’s agenda, not Paul’s.

Instead of going to Damascus as a terror to Christians, Paul was going to Damascus as a brand new Christian. Instead of going to arrest a Christians, Paul was going to find Christians who would tell him what what to do. Paul was going to have his sight restored (though he did not know it yet). Paul was going to be commissioned to begin an entirely new life, no longer as a persecutor of Christ and His people, but as a preacher of Christ and the gospel.

Who knew? Who could have possibly known? God.

Application: When the Lord interrupts, it is not always easy or obvious what He is up to. Let us learn to trust Him. He is in charge, and His will is always good—even when it includes difficulty along the way.