Acts 7:57-58 (NIV) At this they covered their ears and,
yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and
began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of
a young man named Saul.
I remember stories my Religion
teachers at Catholic grade school told about the persecution of the early
Christians. These tales made me grip the edge of my seat when they would describe the
living conditions underground in the catacombs of Rome. I was mesmerized and also afraid I would never live up to such oppression. The child in me was fearful I would be hurt or hungry; I never considered the cause for which they
were suffering.
I still wonder if I would be up for the
challenge and muster the courage of my convictions to withstand torture.
I think not. I am a wimp, so weak in the flesh. I run from
danger; in other words I am a coward. How I would love to think I could be a
beacon for others. The truth is, I cannot do it, but God can. God
can take my weaknesses and use them to point to Him.
Can you imagine Saul’s feelings once he
came to know Jesus? The man with the new name, Paul, must have looked
back at his past and cringed. What a great example for God to use to help you
and I understand that if God changed Paul and can also change us.
He can take our fear and turn it into
trust. He changed Paul into a man many listened to and heard. Paul was
able to give testimony to the unconditional love of Jesus. Even though he
helped put Saint Stephen to death because of his relationship with Jesus, God used Paul to build up the Church. Paul proclaimed
Jesus Christ until his death. May I be equipped to do likewise.
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