“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” (Acts 9:3-5)
A man by the name of Saul experienced a miraculous conversion in the country of Syria in 33 A.D. He was the least probable person on earth to follow Christ at the moment. He actually despised, pursued, and murdered Christians. But the power of the Holy Spirit permanently altered him when he met Christ. Paul, who fell to his knees before God Almighty, emerged as a man filled with the Holy Spirit and striving for God’s honor .
According to the Bible, every tongue and knee will submit to Jesus Christ as Lord at some point. There won’t be anyone left standing in front of the Lord that denies the existence of the One and Only God. It is necessary to revere Jesus Christ’s holiness. Consequently, Saul, the notorious persecutor, ends up in the dust, bowing down to the King of Kings.
Saul saw light in a real and symbolic sense. Saul addresses the voice, addressing him as “Lord” after noticing the dazzling light. How is he certain that it is Christ? His heart’s curtain of doubt has been lifted, allowing him to see and comprehend reality. He goes to the city as instructed and waits to learn what to do next because he thinks this is Jesus, whom he has met on the way.
It’s significant to note that Paul had to give up his physical sight before gaining spiritual sight. The death of our old selves, our old perspectives on the world, and our previous responses to Jesus are always necessary for new life in Him. Paul’s blindness provided Paul with a new start, sight, and name. Paul also received a new mission. He preached the gospel with the same fervor with which he had previously pursued and murdered Christians. God used him to save lives, not to take them.
Even though the majority of us will never experience Jesus in quite the same way as Paul did, that doesn’t make our stories any less remarkable. The same Jesus saves everyone. Every child of God is filled with the same Spirit, and are ignited by the same fire from Him.
Prayer: Father, I am grateful that You have enabled me to see Your truth. For Your glory, You have saved me by shining Your light into the darkness of my sin. Please demonstrate for me today how to shine this light into the surrounding darkness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
