TUESDAY - JULY 7

Read. Acts 9:1-9
Meanwhile, Saul was still spewing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest, 2 seeking letters to the synagogues in Damascus. If he found persons who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, these letters would authorize him to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 During the journey, as he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven encircled him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice asking him, “Saul, Saul, why are you harassing me?”

5 Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?”

“I am Jesus, whom you are harassing,” came the reply. 6 “Now get up and enter the city. You will be told what you must do.”
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7 Those traveling with him stood there speechless; they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 After they picked Saul up from the ground, he opened his eyes but he couldn’t see. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind and neither ate nor drank anything.

Reflect. This passage presents the most famous conversion story in history, and it presents a change in the narrative of Acts. If you remember, Saul was present at and approved of the murder of Stephen (8:1). Now Saul is on a mission to help eliminate the movement of Jesus followers. Saul sees them as opposed to God and the Jewish way of living. Possibly he sees them as a threat to the stability of Jews living under the rule of the Roman Empire. So, Saul is traveling from Jerusalem to Damascus to continue opposing the Christians. 

• In his Daily Study Bible Series, William Barclay (p.71) writes this about Paul’s journey:
• “The way went through Galilee, and Galilee brought Jesus even more vividly to Paul’s mind. The tension in his inner being tightened. So he came near Damascus, one of the oldest cities in the world. Just before Damascus the road climbed Mount Hermon and below lay Damascus, a lovely white city in a green plain… That region had this characteristic phenomenon that when the hot air of the plain met the cold air of the mountain range, violent electrical storms resulted. Just at that moment came such a lightning storm and out of the storm Christ spoke to Paul. In that moment the long battle was over and Paul surrendered to Christ.”
• Up until this moment Saul had lived his life the way he thought was best; after this, though, Saul will live life as he is told. Saul surrenders to Jesus and lives the rest of his life as one who is surrendered to the will of another. 
• What do you need to do, today, to surrender to Jesus? 

Pray. Jesus, you met Saul on a road a long time ago, and he was forever changed. Meet me today; help me to surrender to your will and your way for my life. 

COMMUNITY PRAYER LIST

Doug. Bobby. Collier. Glenn. Adam.  Mary.  Clyde.  Linda. Betty Carolyn. Jeff. Albert. Richard. Lois. Ross. Tiny. Donald. Bill. Barbara. Andreas. Helen. Bonnie Brenner. Baker Family. Robert McKenzie Family. Terry Kibler. Carolyn Harlow. Jeremy. Jeff Green. Lyric. Earl Graves. Mickey Huff. Huff & Welch families.