Today’s devotional is from the pen of Jason:
“Today I found myself
After searching all these years
the man that I saw
He wasn't at all who I thought he'd be”
(the first verse of “Born Again,” by Third Day)
“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.” Acts 9:1-9
We have all been given “born again” moments. What we do with these moments when they happen is what some would call our defining moment. It is who we are. It is who we will soon become. Saul had been living his life for his teachers, the high priest, maybe his parents, for himself, and maybe in his confused mind, for His God. This was how he had been taught his entire life. He was trying to be the best Jewish man he could. Was his lifestyle right? Obviously not, because he had to be blinded on a road to truly see the error of his ways.
We have all had these moments. Maybe yours was the day you became a Christian. The moments never stop coming though. We are all challenged daily with choices, some good and some bad. What we do with those moments will ultimately change the rest of our lives. Sometimes the choices are easy, but sometimes they are hard. Sin is a difficult moment to go through. We want to do the right thing, but so often we can’t find that strength to withstand. That is why we have friends to lean on, and if we open our eyes and sit still long enough we will see that God will carry us through. Some choices have to do with being a better spouse, or parent, or friend. Some choices are about how to do your best in ministry. When the time comes, what are we prepared to do? Will you choose to follow God, because you see where you are heading is not right? Will you choose to put time with family over times of laziness? Will you choose to put honesty and integrity over what may seem easier at the time?
When you look at your life and see changes that need to be made, will you choose to do whatever it takes or choose to stay the same? Saul had originally been heading into the city to arrest and possibly kill as a proud Jewish man. When his defining moment came, he was forced to humbly be led into the same city, blinded and not in control of anything. Sometimes we have to have this happen for God’s true plan to actually happen in our lives. Saul was forced to look very deeply at who he had become and with the help of God and Ananias, he saw the light, and chose to follow God no matter where it led. Are you ready to face your defining moment?
Blessings,
Jason
