Journey through Acts 9 - A {transformed} Heart

This is day 2 of our Transformation series.  For day one, please click here. 

When we left off yesterday, Saul was on the road to Damascus on a mission to find and imprison believers of the recently crucified Jesus.  Saul was walking with his companions and was suddenly accosted by a blinding, white light from Heaven.  We talked about how sometimes we feel like we have it all together - like Saul thought.  Then out of the blue, some blinding trial comes our way and hinders our sight - something that has the ability to transform us from what we think we are into what God designed us to be.

I imagine myself as Saul - how that must have felt like.  About a year of so ago, my daughter and I went with her homeschool group to Desoto Caverns.  It's amazing, really.  It's a series of geologic caves and a tourist attraction located in Childersburg, Alabama.  The main room of the cavern is twelve stories high, and larger than a football field.  In 2 words, it's massive!

It's filled with chairs and once all the children come in and take a seat, the presentation begins.  The tour guide draws everyone's attention to the little lights that dot the surface of the cave.  While it's not terribly bright in there, your eyes can adjust enough to the darkness that you can see what's around you.  However, when they turn the lights off, that's it.  Nothing.  You can't see your hand in front of your face.  After a minute or two, they turn the lights back on and you can see again.  Barely.

After an hour in the caves, upon your ascent out of the cave the light from the outside gets brighter and brighter.  So bright in fact, that you have to shield your eyes and maybe even squint.  Of course this example isn't quite as extreme as what Saul went through, but it does give you an idea of how he must have felt.

The Bible says that it came in an instant, or suddenly.  BAM!  Has this ever happened to you?  You're sailing along, happy go lucky, husband has a great job, life is good and SPLAT!  The rug comes flying out from under you.  Your husband gets fired/laid off/hurt on the job, bills pile up, kids start acting out - you feel as if you can't see the way out.  You've been blinded by life...  (I may be interjecting my own life here but this is all about being real. lol )

When these times come, it can prevent growth - even for a long time Christian.  Especially for a long time Christian.  We get weary - it's the same old routine.  We can learn from Saul though...

The first thing Saul did after he asked, 'Who are you?' was to pick himself up up off the ground.  This is revelation to me.  He did not wallow in the mud, he did not lay there and pitch a fit about not being able to see, He didn't question God further (which is in direct opposition to what Ananias does a few verses below).  Saul simply got up and did what God told him to do.  He started walking.

He performed an 'action'.  It's easy for us to lay in a pile of questioning sorrow when the unthinkable happens.  As women and mothers, we do so much for people even to the point of laying aside our own needs and desires that it seems very unfair when circumstances take us to places we wish we didn't have to go through.  Even still, we have to walk. 

We still have to walk in faith.  We still have to walk in courage.  We still have to walk in the truth that God is who He says He is and that His Will includes us being shown His unmerited favor and peace.

Only then can we see the manifestations of His blessings.  Only then can we rise above the trappings of this world, releasing our fears and bitterness from our hearts and thoughts.  It's in that place of pure trust that our hearts become one with God.  It will not be us having to do anything - it will Him through us.  

Beloved, I know that these days aren't easy.  I know that sometimes it's hard to get up and walk anywhere.  I also know that some days, the greatest act of faith is getting out of bed.  It's okay.  God honors all of it.  

Don't wallow.  Trust in who God is.

This is what God says, ... “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history.  Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.  It’s bursting out!  Don’t you see it?  There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands."  Isaiah 43:18-19 (MSG)

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:12-14 (NKJV) 

“The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.” Job 17:9 (NLT)

 

Journey through Acts 9 - a Transformed Heart

This is Day one.  :)

I love infomercials.  I can't help it.  Especially the ones that involve before and after pictures.  Just the other day I was up very early, flipped on the TV and I saw the most ripped individuals sweating to death while doing The Insanity Workout (which I have now ordered and am praying I can do it!)  The after shots and the stories of the participants were amazing.  Most of them started out very overweight and out of shape, but in just 60 days, most had lost 20 or so pounds and were stronger than they ever imagined they could be.  

Transformation.  I don't think there's a greater transformation story than that of Saul in Acts 9.  As you may already know, Saul is called Paul later in Acts 13:9.  

Basically the story is this, Saul is fired up - he hates this new faction of believers rising up declaring Jesus as the Messiah.  He goes to the high priest and requests letters granting him the right to arrest, or possibly kill these people and then he sets out on his deadly mission to bring Jerusalem its new prisoners.  

Have you ever met someone who was too smart for their own good?  This was Paul.  He was Roman by birth and was afforded all the tutoring and fine things available.  He was very religious and prided himself on his intellect.  He once even referred to himself as "of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; & a Pharisee."  He certainly thought alot of himself.  He probably thought his life was perfect, that he had 'it all'.  But, he didn't know what God knew...that Saul was in dire need of Transformation.

With his destination close at hand, Saul was blinded by a bright light.  Falling to the ground, he heard a loud voice say, 'Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?'  I'm sure Saul was thinking he had everything together - he did all the right things, ate all the right foods, talked to all the right people and yet something horrible was happening to him (or so he thought).  He knew of nothing else to say except, 'who are you'??

I love that!  "Who are you?"  I can admit that so often when blinding trials come my way, I'm the first one to throw blame on others - my husband, my kids, the neighbor down the street with the largest dog in the world, or even satan.  And most of the time, I'm right.  I mean, God would never put me through 'the crap of life'!  Would He?  Surely, it has to be because of something else...I've done everything right!

Have you ever said this to yourself?  Be honest!  There comes those times when we really have to take a good, long look at ourselves.  When nothing else seems to be working, we should sit down and reevaluate ourselves, our hearts, and our relationships with Jesus.  Sometimes, we are in need of Transformation and we don't even know it.

God is ever changing us, He is working in us every day that we live to make us a better version of ourselves.  Only He knows the greatness He designed you to be and He wants to share that with you.  He wants you to merge into a blinding light for all mankind; shining the light of Jesus through to every soul on earth.  Sometimes, we need a fire lit under our butts to do so.  And sometimes...He has to light that fire.    

Friend, if there is something in your way today I urge to take a few minutes with the Lord.  Have a frank, open discussion with Him.  Ask Him to show you 'who He is'!  I promise He will.  He will flood your heart with peace unlike you've ever known before.  Let Him transform you - let Him open your eyes, hearts and ears to His word.  Know that even though you may be blinded by life, God is there to transform any situation - He will bring good out of it.  

Don't give up.  

Please join us tomorrow for day 2.  

(ETA: I am not an affiliate of The Insanity Workout nor do I receive any compensation for clicks to the site or orders placed from their site.  I included the link in case you were curious or had never heard of it.)