Jun 14 2 Samuel 22, 2 Samuel 23:1-7 Acts 9:1-31 Psalm 73:15-28
Acts 9:4
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.
Saul (Or Paul) thought he was a holy person. He thought he was doing the will of God. THat’s why he went after the church so strongly – He believed that they were wrong.
Imagine this moment… where he meets someone clearly divine, asking why he is persecuting him… his whole world would have turned upside down.
Everything he believed needed to change.
God blinded him, so that when his eyes were opened, he’d be seeing clearly for the first time.
There was however an issue Paul would face – as we read in acts 9, he tried to join the disciples but they were afraid and did not believe him. Even Ananias was initially reluctant to go.
I can’t blame them for that – their reaction is very natural. But that must have been a great source of discouragement to Paul.
When those people we least suspected would change come in to church, it should be a time for celebration not suspicion.
Paul needed good people around him, because everything had changed in his life.
These moments in a new Christian’s life is a time to care and share… not to stare.
