Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
The story of Saul is found in the book of Acts in the New Testament. Saul was among those who persecuted the members of the church after Jesus' death and even participated in the stoning of Stephen. (Download New Testament timeline here.)
But Jesus, having compassion and recognizing Saul's potential for good, appeared before Saul and questioned his actions. Saul's response was "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?".
The Lord responded, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."
As we continue to read in the New Testament, we learn that Saul (whose name is changed to Paul) is converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and spends the rest of his years studying and preaching the gospel. He spends years on missionary journeys and writes epistles (letters) to members of the church in various areas to address concerns and to guide them to a more correct living of the principles of the gospel.
This journey toward true conversion began with a simple question: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
Another present-day witness of Christ, a modern day prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson promised, "The persistent asking of that same question can also change your life. There is no greater question that you can ask in this world."
Why?
Oftentimes we become content in our lives. We participate in a fair amount of good and don't feel the overwhelming pressure to change our actions. We are experiencing little or no negative consequences (or at least are not associating these negative consequences with our behaviors) and feel no need to change. We are content in what we accomplish and how we spend our time.
However, we have the opportunity to rise to much more. The purpose of this very life is to strive for perfection to become more like our Creator. We are being provided an opportunity for progression that may not be available in any other way. And we should maximize that opportunity.
When we pose a similar question: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?, we begin seeking His answers. Be begin listening for His voice. We begin looking for His witness in the world around us. We begin heeding the promptings we receive. We begin involving ourselves in a greater immersion of spirituality so that we can be more in tune with His spirit. Our lives begin to improve as we adopt the changes that we are prompted to participate in. We begin to accelerate our progression. We begin to recognize the Lord in our words and actions.
I will be taking on this challenge. I will be asking the Lord in my daily prayers what He would have me to do. And I will begin acting on those impressions and promptings I receive.
I know that the Lord hears and answers my prayers. He will answer my questions and guide me toward a more correct living of the principles of the gospel. As I strive to live more correctly, I will become perfected in Him.
But Jesus, having compassion and recognizing Saul's potential for good, appeared before Saul and questioned his actions. Saul's response was "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?".
The Lord responded, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."
As we continue to read in the New Testament, we learn that Saul (whose name is changed to Paul) is converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and spends the rest of his years studying and preaching the gospel. He spends years on missionary journeys and writes epistles (letters) to members of the church in various areas to address concerns and to guide them to a more correct living of the principles of the gospel.
This journey toward true conversion began with a simple question: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
Another present-day witness of Christ, a modern day prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson promised, "The persistent asking of that same question can also change your life. There is no greater question that you can ask in this world."
Why?
Oftentimes we become content in our lives. We participate in a fair amount of good and don't feel the overwhelming pressure to change our actions. We are experiencing little or no negative consequences (or at least are not associating these negative consequences with our behaviors) and feel no need to change. We are content in what we accomplish and how we spend our time.
However, we have the opportunity to rise to much more. The purpose of this very life is to strive for perfection to become more like our Creator. We are being provided an opportunity for progression that may not be available in any other way. And we should maximize that opportunity.
When we pose a similar question: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?, we begin seeking His answers. Be begin listening for His voice. We begin looking for His witness in the world around us. We begin heeding the promptings we receive. We begin involving ourselves in a greater immersion of spirituality so that we can be more in tune with His spirit. Our lives begin to improve as we adopt the changes that we are prompted to participate in. We begin to accelerate our progression. We begin to recognize the Lord in our words and actions.
I will be taking on this challenge. I will be asking the Lord in my daily prayers what He would have me to do. And I will begin acting on those impressions and promptings I receive.
I know that the Lord hears and answers my prayers. He will answer my questions and guide me toward a more correct living of the principles of the gospel. As I strive to live more correctly, I will become perfected in Him.
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