“So he, trembling and astonished, said, ’Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do”’ (Acts 9:6).
Saul was a hasty, ruthless, zealous persecutor of Christians. He threatened and imprisoned them without mercy, and he had authority to put them to death. Until one day, everything changed. He left Jerusalem and headed toward Damascus on a crusade of hatred, persecution, and death, until he suddenly received a heavenly vision. God sees in each person a potential evangelist, a consecrated, faithful servant. He sees our weaknesses turned into strengths, our failings into victories. The change that took place in Saul was drastic and instantaneous. His hostile, aggressive attitude changed, and he surrendered, ‘trembling and astonished,” with a fervent desire to obey and please God (see Acts 22:10). Jesus asked him, “‘Paul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). God takes what we do against His church personally; to offend the church is to offend God.
The repetition of a name in the Bible frequently indicates that a special message is going to be given, to emphasize what is being said, and to express special tenderness, concern, or deep interest. Paul is an example of this (see Acts 9:4) along with Abraham (see Genesis 22:11), Jacob (see Genesis 46:2), Moses (see Exodus 3:4), Samuel (see 1 Samuel 3:10), Jerusalem (see Matthew 23:37), Martha (see Luke 10:41), and Simon (see Luke 22:31).
Jesus also feels special tenderness for you. Saul was left blind and fell to the ground along with those who traveled with him. When he stood up, he was a new person. Even his name was changed; he would no longer be known as Saul, but Paul. Jesus used Paul’s academic preparation, his intelligence, his training, his cultural background, his citizenship, and even his weaknesses. He can do the same for you; He only needs you to be willing.
God used Saul’s three days of blindness to enlighten his mind. In a way, he lost his sight in order to learn to look with his soul, since spiritual things can only be seen with spiritual eyes. Ananias received a vision in which he was instructed to seek out Saul and given the exact address of the house he was in (see Acts 9:11). God not only counts the hairs on your head; He also knows your address. Ananias’s first reaction was fear, but he was willing to obey God in spite of his feelings of prejudice and rejection toward Saul.
When God asks you to work with difficult people, obey; He will convert hearts, just as He did with Paul. Ananias treated Saul kindly and called him “Brother Saul” (verse 17). It is not easy to love difficult people, especially when we have doubts about their motives. Just do your part, and God will do His.
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Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Esteban Cortes
