Wednesday, November 13, 2024
God Changes Lives
Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. (Acts 8:1-3 NLT)
We all know many non-Christians, but I want you to think of someone who’s an antagonistic unbeliever. Maybe it’s a neighbor, spouse, parent, coworker, or someone else. Not only does this person reject Christianity, but they also give Christians a hard time about their faith.
Today, I want you to pray for that person by name, that God would get ahold of them and bring them into His kingdom. Why? Because no one is beyond the reach of God. That’s something we all need to remember. No one is unsavable, even if they seem that way. No matter how much of a mess they’ve made of their life. No matter how many bad decisions they’ve made. No matter how severe the consequences have been. No one is beyond the reach of God.
Our tendency is to say, “That person will never change. That addict will never stop using. That alcoholic will never stop drinking. That person will never stop living that way.” But that’s short-sighted, isn’t it? Because, with God, all things are possible. He can change anyone.
And consider this: That person who is so antagonistic toward the Christian faith actually may be closer to the kingdom of God than you imagine. Their extreme opposition may be due to the fact that they’re under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. That’s what we see in Acts 8, in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.
It’s hard to overstate how much Saul (also known as Paul) despised Christianity. He presided over the death of Stephen, the courageous first martyr of the church. He forced Christians to scatter to foreign lands with his campaign of terror. He imprisoned believers in his quest to destroy the church.
And then one day Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. And he experienced the most radical and unlikely conversion in church history. It was so unexpected that the believers who heard about it dismissed it as a lie or a trick on Saul’s part.
But it was genuine. The man who had previously dedicated his life to the destruction of the church now dedicated it to the spread of the church. He, who had been controlled by hate, was now motivated by love.
No one is beyond God’s reach. So keep praying for that person who rejects you and your gospel message. Don’t get discouraged. Let the joy of Christ continue to shine through you. Keep the lines of communication open. Even the strongest opposition can weaken over time.
Take comfort in the words of Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (NLT). That’s some hard-earned wisdom right there—straight from the apostle Paul himself.
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