The Hope Found in Apostle Paul’s Conversion
“In Jerusalem Saul was still threatening the followers of the Lord by saying he would kill them. So, he went to the high priest and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Then if Saul found any followers of Christ’s Way, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem. So, Saul headed toward Damascus. As he came near the city, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?’ Saul said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’” - Acts 9:1-5
No sin is too wicked for God to forgive and change a person. The only sin God will not forgive is if we curse the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:10). He forgives because He is patient, kind and does not want anyone to perish but come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God helped Saul to turn from evil to good. It was the sight of Jesus that changed the entire direction of his life. He realized that Jesus was real, had been raised from the dead, and is with God in heaven.
Saul was also known as Paul, and in his life after his conversion went from persecuting Christians to being saved and dying for standing up for his faith. We want the same hope for others or even ourselves. If we have a loved one, a neighbor, or a friend that is not a believer, Paul’s story gives us hope and encouragement that God may not be done with them yet.
We need to pray for those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior because there is power in prayer. When a believing person prays then great things happen (James 5:16).
Prayer of the day:
Dear heavenly Father,
You are very kind to forgive us even when we sin against You. That shows how merciful You are. Help us to show the same mercy to others. We want to learn from the apostle Paul’s life because he was lost but You found and saved him. We want the same hope for our loved ones and friends who are in jeopardy of being sent to eternal punishment if they do not accept Jesus as their savior. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!
