From Hatred to Hope

Scripture: Acts 9:1-6

Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

Cowboy Wisdom:

Saul was breathing threats like a wild mustang snorting fire, hunting down Christians with the determination of a relentless tracker. He thought he was defending truth, but he was actually fighting against the very God he claimed to serve. On that Damascus road, God knocked him flat, stopping him dead in his tracks like a bolt of lightning hitting the prairie.

Sometimes the Lord has to knock us off our high horse before we can see clearly. Saul discovered that day just how much God loved him, even when he was God's enemy. The light that blinded him physically was the same light that opened his spiritual eyes.

"Sometimes you're riding hard in the wrong direction, and it takes getting thrown from your horse to realize you need to change course. The best cowboys know when to dismount and ask for directions."

Questions for Reflection:

• Is there an area of your life where you're "breathing threats" against God's will, convinced you're right?

• When has God stopped you in your tracks to get your attention?

• What would it take for you to surrender control like Saul did on that road?

Prayer Focus:

Ask God to reveal any blind spots in your life where you might be working against His purposes. Pray for the humility to be knocked off your horse when necessary, and for eyes to see Jesus clearly.