Paul's Journey

Paul grew up a conscientious and religious young man who thought he was doing the right thing. He studied under a well-known Professor known as Gamaliel and was probably a bright, studious person. He was very zealous for his faith, participating in the killing of Stephen and going to great lengths and distances to persecute those pesky Christians. It was on his way to Damascus to further imprison and possibly kill christians that he met with his nemesis.

It is possible to be sincere and be sincerely wrong. This was Saul's (who later became Paul) story. He met with Jesus on the road to Damascus and his life never remained the same again. He came to understand that his human efforts to reach God and be a dutiful, obedient child of the Most High had been spectacularly misdirected. Jesus introduced Himself to him. Jesus looked for him and reached out to him even when he deserved nothing more than instant death or punishment from the Risen Savior. Thank God for His love, mercy and understanding.

Paul's encounter and experience on the road to Damascus changed him completely, physiaclly even. He was blinded for several days during which he must have had time to reflect on that encounter and what it meant to Him. His period of darkness was lifted when a Christian came over to pray for Him He thereafter still spent sometime alone re-educating himself and gaining a new perspective on things and sciptures which he had previously learned under Gamaliel. They were the same words but they now carried new meaning as he was now reading under the Light of the Holy Spirit and divine revelation of Christ. Knowledge will puff up and can lead to destruction even if not placed into Jesus caring and revelatory hands. As the Bible says, the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.

Paul approached his new life with a zeal and a commitment never matched by any other apostle of his time. God connected him with the right people, people like Barnabas who took him under their wings and helped him to speedily come of age in the the things of the ministry. He was like a mad man trying to make up for lost time. He who had now been persecuting, now became one of those pesky Christians taking the gospel to the far reaches of the earth and writing most of the books of the new testament in the process. He himslef now endured many persecutions and near-death experiences.

God can use anyone and indeed anything to proclaim the message of the Gospel, the birth, death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ through whom we receive forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. If He is using you today, then you are highly privileged. Be joyful and humbled. Pray that He will find many others who are yet on the wrong path and maybe do not even know it. If you are still not sure yet, the questions you have in your heart is God reaching out to you already. Open up to Him. Ask. Lord show me more. Pick a bible where you can and read the book of Mark or John. He will meet you on your own road to Damascuss too and bring you on your journey to become one of those blessed Christians.

You are blessed!