Unbelievable!

“I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.”  And they were glorifying God because of me” (Galatians 1:22–24).

Imagine being a Christian in the region of Judea during the murderous rampage of Saul of Tarsus.  The young Pharisee had made it his mission to destroy the fledgling movement which claimed loyalty to the recently crucified Jesus of Nazareth.  Not content with merely driving them out of Jerusalem, this young firebrand traveled to the far reaches of the land, imprisoning and even having some disciples put to death.  The name “Saul” struck fear in even the stoutest of hearts.  Perhaps your own family or church had been torn apart in the purge.  Who would be next?

Now imagine that you begin to hear the whispered rumors: Saul has become a disciple!  Given what you know, you find this extremely difficult to believe.  In fact, you wonder if perhaps this is a ruse to lure more Christians into his trap.  Given his track record, that’s not such a stretch, is it?  But then, people you trust tell you of how they heard him proclaiming Christ in the synagogue.  Even Barnabus was vouching for him.  Could it really be possible?  Has the persecutor become a preacher?

If you ever doubt God’s ability to change your life, think back to what He did in Saul’s life.  It’s easy to think that you have done too many evil things, that you have made too many mistakes, that you have burned too many bridges to ever be used by God.  Saul’s story says otherwise.  If God can change Saul’s life, then there is no reason to think that you are beyond hope.  If you are willing, God can give you a new start and direction.  Who knows?  Maybe others will hear your story and have a hard time believing it.  Maybe your story will give hope to others and prompt them to give glory to God as well.

God loves you!

Mike