Acts 9 brings us face-to-face with the life-changing mercy of God.
Saul’s life drastically changed when the One whose followers he sought to destroy appeared to him in glorious light. Until this moment, Saul had been spiritually blind, but Jesus gave him a new principle and worldview.
Saul had relied on his own righteousness, but now he repented and counted all things as loss for the sake of Christ (see Philippians 3:8). Now he trusted God’s provision rather than his own performance. This led to a new life of both proclamation and persecution. The one who persecuted the people of the Way would now count it all joy to be persecuted for proclaiming the same message.
Amazingly, when Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, He did not give Saul his new calling immediately. Rather, He chose to work through an ordinary person—Ananias, a man we wouldn’t otherwise know about—to complete Saul’s conversion and calling.
God grants His ordinary disciples the privilege of being involved in His work in this way. It’s not fame but faithfulness that God calls us to. Even a small, unknown person can be used by God in magnificent ways.
Watch part 82 of the 365 Key Chapters of the Bible series, based on Ken’s Handbook to Scripture.
