“As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” – Acts 8:3 (NKJV)
Jerusalem was in an uproar. The apostles were preaching the Word of God as Jesus commanded them. People were being saved. Healings and deliverances were experienced by many. A lame man who was known to almost everyone as he sat at the temple gate begging, was now “…walking, and leaping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:8 – NKJV). He could not contain himself. The chief priests and elders, strongly opposed to the apostles’ doctrine, restrained themselves with difficulty because the whole of Jerusalem seemed to believe the apostles’ teaching.
Saul (later called Paul), a young Jewish scholar, a Pharisee, well-educated and passionate about the law, also opposed the apostles’ teaching and doctrine and, with the full support of the chief priests, set about persecuting the apostles and new converts. He even sought and obtained written permission to travel to Damascus to make arrests of both men and women and bring them bound to Jerusalem. But on his way to Damascus, Saul had an encounter with Jesus, and he was converted (Acts 9:1-20).
Now he was running for his life from the same chief priests and elders who had given him permission to murder the Christian converts. But with the same zeal and passion that he used to persecute the early church, Saul now turned to preaching Jesus Christ.
Following God’s call sometimes requires us to face difficulty, lose friends and loved ones, and walk alone. But we are never alone. Jesus promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). His presence brings comfort, removes fear, and gives the boldness we never thought possible.
When we answer God’s call, He equips us and makes the way for anything to be possible. It may not be a call to missions in distant lands and strange customs, but to our own neighbourhood, our work environment or even our family. We can face opposition and persecution even there; remember that Jesus’ own brothers turned away from him. But we must pursue Him passionately.
Prayer
Father, thank You for calling me into Your purpose. Give me the courage to say yes, the faith to follow, and the strength to continue to trust in Your faithfulness to finish what You began in me. In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.
Read: Acts 5:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 139:11-16; 3 John 1; Zechariah 1; Zechariah 2; Zechariah 3; Zechariah 4