The Road to Damascus

We are all headed somewhere. We may be serving God and heading in the direction He desires for us, we may be wandering aimlessly, or we may be off on a journey of our own making. When the apostle Paul met Jesus out on the road to Damascus he had big plans. He was truly on a mission. Unfortunately, it was the wrong mission and God set about redirecting his life. God has such great plans for us, but some of us live lives that literally dare Him to intervene. Which way are you heading right now? What is your mission, your purpose? Are you serving God, searching for Him or running from Him? We are all at different places on different roads, but each of us is either marching towards God or away from Him. Between here and Damascus, there lies a broad stretch of empty desert. Make sure you are on the right road. You certainly wouldn't want to get lost out there.

The Road to Damascus
It was on the road to Damascus
that Saul, of Tarsus, traveled that day
With letters of introduction
the zealous young Pharisee made his way
Recalling how, back in Jerusalem
he had done his best to subdue
The blasphemous men of that Nazarene sect
yet still there was much to do
At the synagogue in Damascus
Saul planned to do just the same
To stone or imprison the wretched men
who were calling on Jesus' name
They had abandoned the law and the prophets
turning from their father Abraham
Mocking their God and His covenant
the blood of atonement and the ram
With these things in mind he hastened on
for he had far to travel still
And Saul was eager yet to accomplish
what he deemed to be his God's will
But somewhere on the road to Damascus
the Lord God called his name
And appeared before the frightened Saul
whose life would never be the same
Saul timidly asked, "Who are you, Lord?"
unsure what the answer would bring
The Lord answered, "I am Jesus ...
whom you have been persecuting."
That was the defining moment
when the Pharisee ceased to be Saul
Devoting the rest of his life to Christ
as God's mighty apostle Paul
What transpired upon that road?
What other words were exchanged?
God only knows what else was said
but Paul was forever changed
And few men have served their Lord so well
precious few have suffered so much
Paul's voice echos across the centuries
with God's power and gentle touch
But it began on the road to Damascus
where Paul met the Lord face to face
Where he heard the very voice of God
knowing both God's wrath and embrace
Are you on your own road to Damascus
traveling towards or away from your King
And if you met Him along that road
what might the encounter might bring
As I gaze off into the future
down the road stretching out before me
My destination grows hard to distinguish
among all the destinations I see
Am I on the road to Damascus
headed where God desires I go
Or on one of the countless other roads
and how can a man truly know
I must consider that the kingdom
of God is not in a physical place
I should be striving to be in God's presence
to enter His fellowship and His grace
All other destinations
in this world, which beckon to me
However promising they appear
in the end are but vanity
So I must reconsider carefully
what road I am on today
But I must also travel with faith that God
may yet meet me along the way
By Frank Carpenter ©