There once lived a man called Saul filled with zeal and passion for what was “right” in his eyes. He was a man ready to die for whatever cause he supported; at the time he was called Saul – he was sold out persecuting the Christians. He lived this life against the Christians until a fateful day when he was met with the light of Jesus Christ. On His way to Damascus to kill even more Christians, the light of the world met him and flooded his entirety with light from above – Acts 9:3-4. That encounter changed his life forever!
Although he became physically blind in that interaction, I see a man whose spiritual life awakened. In that interaction, he heard the voice of Jesus Christ clearly, he became saved and received spiritual direction and guidance from then on. Within a short period, God’s love engulfed Saul’s life, he became Apostle Paul and began to live for Jesus Christ as passionately as he lived for the devil in his past life. The Bible tells us in Acts 9:20-22 that he preached in the Synagogues and his strength increased even more as he went about the Lord’s business.
It gets even more interesting! As Apostle Paul filled with strength went about doing the Lord’s business – the enemy could not stand to watch a man on their side turn around just like that. The Jews became instruments in the hands of the enemy to attack Apostle Paul. The Bible tells us that the Jews began to plot ways to kill Paul – Acts 9:23. This was a man who ran around freely as he killed Christians but as soon as he said Yes to Jesus and began to live for Jesus, all hell was let loose.
You see my dear new believer, I am writing and sharing this blog post with you with the hopes that you draw strength and encouragement from Apostle Paul’s story. Perhaps you are brand new in your faith in Christ Jesus however, you see attacks against you all around. Keep calm my dear, you are in great company. The truth is you used to dine with the devil and lived for him in your past life. Now, just like the apostle Paul – whose life was translated from darkness into great light; your life has now been translated from the kingdom of darkness into God’s marvelous kingdom of Light. The devil is not one to let go just easily without a fight, in truth he is constantly always trying to steal, kill, and destroy. He sure had an inkling of the wonders that apostle Paul would wrought in God’s kingdom and wanted to do everything in his power to frustrate or kill him.
He knows the good works you would do in God’s kingdom and all he is doing to you now are only schemes to try to frustrate you and your faith in Christ Jesus. Imagine Apostle Paul allowed those attacks to get to him and perhaps gave up just like that – we would have missed out on all the spiritual insights he shared with us in books like Romans, I & II Corinthians, I & II Thessalonians, and so on.
Instead of giving in to the enemy or breaking down in tears to ask God, “But why?!”. The Bible tells us in Acts 9:22
But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
This is my prayer for you dear new believer or even mature believer who may have doubts in Jesus Christ. I pray that you are strengthened in your body, soul, and spirit to continue this faith journey that you have begun. Just like Jesus Christ, set your eyes on the things above, forsaking the trials that you may be faced with right now knowing very well that the pains you experience right now are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed through and in you in Jesus name.