Never Beyond His Reach

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Acts 9:1-2

 

Have you ever been convinced you were on the right road, doing the right thing, then suddenly realized you were lost? Probably the most dramatic and spectacular illustration of this occurred when Saul was traveling to Damascus to persecute the Jewish people there. Saul was a high ranking religious leader. He came from a good family and had regal qualifications. The Romans chose Saul to get rid of those pesky followers of Jesus they were calling “The Way.” His high-ranking buddies were on board as well.

Saul, soon to become Paul on the road to Damascus, felt justified to persecute these upstart enemies of Rome. He was breathing threats and murder against these religious rebels.

When you read about Saul’s journey you realize something. Saul was living without the presence of the living God. He was bound up in his religion. He thought he was doing the right thing. He was behaving like any good obedient Jew would. But the Lord was not with him.

But when he encountered the still, small unmistakable voice of Jesus, his life was completely transformed.

 

Have you ever done something you knew was wrong but you kept doing it anyway? When we’re blatantly and knowingly disobedient, our rebellion will bind us up. That burden of our actions weighs us down and keeps us from experiencing God’s best for our lives.

Jesus spoke transforming words to Paul and told him exactly what to do. “Get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:6b.

We sometimes make wrong choices and head down paths that will lead us into peril or destruction. Where we THINK we want to go. Where we THINK is right. We might continue down those destructive paths for weeks or months or even years sometimes. But no matter how far down them we travel, no matter how lost we get, we are never beyond the reach of our loving Father who will always give us the right direction. When we stop and listen. We’ll encounter that still, small unmistakable voice, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ ” (Isaiah 30:21)

PRAYER: Father, sometimes we know we make wrong choices in life. Sometimes we go down paths that will eventually harm us, interrupt our sweet fellowship with you, or worse, destroy us and our testimony. We ask You today, Heavenly Father, to continually remind us of Your presence. Remind us that You have the right direction for our lives. And no matter how far down those paths we go, remind us that You are always with us and that we are never beyond Your reach. Amen.