Written by Eric Stephens
The Word
[1] But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. [3] Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. [4] And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” -Acts 9:1-4 ESV
Analysis
This summer my family took a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Right in the center of downtown are several attractions named after Robert Ripley (Ripley’s Believe It or Not). The premise of the attractions is simple: they showcase things so odd, so unlikely, and so extraordinary that you can hardly believe they’re real. And yet they are. That is exactly how the early church must have felt about the story in this passage. Saul, the man “breathing threats and murder” against the disciples, the one carrying official letters to arrest believers in Damascus, became a believer himself. In fact, when Saul later tried to join the disciples in Jerusalem, they didn’t believe it either (Acts 9:26). It sounded too incredible to be true. But God specializes in believe it or not stories.
I know he does, because my own conversion is one of them. Like Saul, it was very clear where I was heading and what I intended to do with my life. When I was saved as an 18-year-old university student on campus, I can honestly say I wasn’t pursuing God. I was going after my own way and pursuing my own interests until, just like Saul, God intervened in my life, saved me from my own way, and put me on his way. That single conversion experience (salvation) also set the course for the many mini conversion experiences (sanctification) that I still have. At their core, they all begin with me trying to follow my way rather than God’s way of doing things.
Application
Saul’s conversion gives you and me hope in that God’s love is able to overcome our ignorance and pride. Whether you’ve just recently come to the Lord or have been walking with him for decades, God continues to overcome our will in order for His will to be done. My hope is that over time your will would become flexible and bend easier to His will. Ultimately, God knows what’s best for us.
Prayer
Lord, where I have been stubborn, prideful, and resistant to change I ask You to overcome it with Your Word. Thank You that no matter where I am, I can start today. Amen!
Leave a Reply