Today, billions of people inhabit the earth, yet Jesus knows your name and understands your struggles. Scripture calls believers the sheep of His pasture, and our loving Shepherd knows each of us personally, even when we don’t know Him. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, was making His way toward Jerusalem to lay down His life on …
Zacchaeus was a worldly, wealthy man. But we see him climbing to see Jesus in our story. Luke 19: 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass …
Zacchaeus’s story was one of worldly wealth and spiritual poverty until he was drawn to Jesus. Our Savior was journeying to Jerusalem to lay down His life for sinners.Luke 19:1Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, …
God had told Ananias that He had a mission for Saul. This enabled Ananias to see through God’s eyes. Ananias knew of Saul’s reputation for persecuting Christians and was understandably afraid of him. But Ananias’ faith was stronger than his fear, and he obeyed God’s instructions. Acts 9: 17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He …
Being an instrument of God to build His Kingdom is a gift only He can bestow upon us. As the story of Saul—whom we later come to know as the Apostle Paul—unfolds, he believes he is building God’s Kingdom by persecuting believers. Yet on his way to Damascus to continue this mission, the Lord suddenly …
Obeying God can stretch us because it often requires leaving our comfort zones. This fosters spiritual growth by deepening our faith and by trusting His wisdom more than our own. Although challenging, this “holy stretch” encourages us to go beyond self-reliance. It can foster a deep dependence on the Holy Spirit and lead to increased …
The vision of Jesus had left Saul blind, but God works in the dark. Acts 9: 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. …
Saul experienced going from blinded eyes to spiritual sight. Saul, who we know as the Apostle Paul, experienced this when Jesus revealed Himself to him. As a devout Pharisee, Saul was a very religious man, yet he was spiritually blind to who Jesus was, which led to his persecuting believers. Then one day, Jesus met …
Surrendering to God is what we do as we realize we are on the wrong path in life and open our hearts to His guidance. Saul, who we know as the Apostle Paul, experienced this when Jesus broke into his life while he was traveling to Damascus to persecute believers. Acts 9:3 As he was approaching …
A transition can occur when God interrupts our direction. Saul thought he was serving God by persecuting the church. Acts 9: 1Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for …