WORD From The Woods
Acts 9:1-20
“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 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. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
The conversion of Saul is one of the most familiar stories in the bible, but as with many familiar passages, we tend to miss what God still has to teach us through them. Saul was one of the most zealous Pharisees in Israel and he had made it his mission in life to round up the rebels who were following the Nazarene, Jesus, the fraudulent messiah (or so he thought at the time). Saul was so caught up in his religiosity and trying to work his way into God's favor, that he'd been horribly misled by the devil to the point where he was arresting and executing followers of this Jesus. Saul oversaw the execution of great disciples of Jesus such as Steven. Saul had heard of a large uprising of Jesus' followers in the city of Damascus, 140 miles away from Jerusalem. So, he got letters of authority from the Jewish leaders to go to Damascus and bind all the Christians he found and haul them back to prison. We might look at Saul's life before his encounter with the Lord and think there was no way he could be used by God, but God had other plans. The passion and zeal that Saul had in trying to root out Christianity were actually spiritual gifts that God had created in him for a special purpose, he had just been using them in a very wrong way, being led by the enemy. When Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery he thought his life was over, but in Genesis 50:20 he says this:
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."
Romans 8:28, written by Saul, who became known as Paul after his conversion says:
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Nobody understood this concept more than Paul, that God could take such an evil person and use their life before Christ to shape them into the servant that He wants them to be. I hear people all the time say that they have done things in their past that make them unable to serve God or somehow disqualify them for service. Paul and many other examples in the bible have shown us that's just not true! Our Lord, the sovereign God, creator of the universe, and lover of our soul, can and will use our whole story, past present, and future for His glory if we love and trust in Him. God will completely forgive all the wrongs that we will ever do if we simply put our faith and trust in Jesus as Saul did. God had a clear plan for Saul, it's amazing to see in just a few days, how God took a great enemy of Jesus' followers and brought him to Ananias, a man who he would have arrested or killed three days before. Saul was discipled by Ananias and the other Christians in Damascus, and before long he was in the synagogues proclaiming the gospel of Jesus! I don't know if you were like Saul and had to be knocked down by some life-changing event, or if you were more like Ananias, who was ready and willing to listen to the voice of God. Whatever your story is, God can and will use it to shape you into the person He wants you to be, and He desires to use you as His chosen instrument, wherever you are in life.
God bless, and have a great week! -Terry-
Acts 9:1-20
“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 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. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
The conversion of Saul is one of the most familiar stories in the bible, but as with many familiar passages, we tend to miss what God still has to teach us through them. Saul was one of the most zealous Pharisees in Israel and he had made it his mission in life to round up the rebels who were following the Nazarene, Jesus, the fraudulent messiah (or so he thought at the time). Saul was so caught up in his religiosity and trying to work his way into God's favor, that he'd been horribly misled by the devil to the point where he was arresting and executing followers of this Jesus. Saul oversaw the execution of great disciples of Jesus such as Steven. Saul had heard of a large uprising of Jesus' followers in the city of Damascus, 140 miles away from Jerusalem. So, he got letters of authority from the Jewish leaders to go to Damascus and bind all the Christians he found and haul them back to prison. We might look at Saul's life before his encounter with the Lord and think there was no way he could be used by God, but God had other plans. The passion and zeal that Saul had in trying to root out Christianity were actually spiritual gifts that God had created in him for a special purpose, he had just been using them in a very wrong way, being led by the enemy. When Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery he thought his life was over, but in Genesis 50:20 he says this:
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."
Romans 8:28, written by Saul, who became known as Paul after his conversion says:
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Nobody understood this concept more than Paul, that God could take such an evil person and use their life before Christ to shape them into the servant that He wants them to be. I hear people all the time say that they have done things in their past that make them unable to serve God or somehow disqualify them for service. Paul and many other examples in the bible have shown us that's just not true! Our Lord, the sovereign God, creator of the universe, and lover of our soul, can and will use our whole story, past present, and future for His glory if we love and trust in Him. God will completely forgive all the wrongs that we will ever do if we simply put our faith and trust in Jesus as Saul did. God had a clear plan for Saul, it's amazing to see in just a few days, how God took a great enemy of Jesus' followers and brought him to Ananias, a man who he would have arrested or killed three days before. Saul was discipled by Ananias and the other Christians in Damascus, and before long he was in the synagogues proclaiming the gospel of Jesus! I don't know if you were like Saul and had to be knocked down by some life-changing event, or if you were more like Ananias, who was ready and willing to listen to the voice of God. Whatever your story is, God can and will use it to shape you into the person He wants you to be, and He desires to use you as His chosen instrument, wherever you are in life.
God bless, and have a great week! -Terry-