Thoughts for the Day

Meanwhile 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 who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'. He asked, 'Who are you Lord?' The reply came, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.'

The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Saul is determined to make sure that the new movement called 'the Way', is eradicated. He sees, what we now call Christianity, as threatening Judaism, and as a faithul Pharisee and an educated man, who follows the Law of Moses, he is determined it will be wiped out. He has already attacked the Christians, entering houses and dragging men and women off to prison (Acts Chapter 8.3), and supported the killing of Steven the first Christian martyr (Acts Chapter 7.58-60).

On his way to Damascus Saul (or St Paul as we know him) is met by the risen Lord Jesus. The experience is so amazing that he will become the foremost Christian evangelist to the gentiles.

When we become committed to Christianity (perhaps years after we were baptised as a baby) our new faith means we must change our behaviour, there is no halfway house. We must put God first and leave our old world behind, as we saw with Saul's conversion experience.

Tuesday 1st September, follow up thoughts

Lord Jesus,
You call us to follow You,
and sometimes our life
is anything but 'Christian'.
When we commit to You
help us to change
so that we put You first
and treat others as ourselves.
Amen.