Prepared by God

 Exodus 19-20                    Psalm 35             Acts 9

The Hebrew nation, led by Moses, arrives at Mount Sini where they will camp for the next 2 years and be instructed by the Lord on how to live. God instructs Moses on how to prepare the people to be there and the way they would meet so that Moses could teach the people what God expected from them. This is the next step in preparing them to enter into the promised land that they will be able to claim as their own.

God then begins telling Moses those foundational rules of life we know as the Ten Commandments. They are an outline of the expectations between God and us and then instructions on our relationships with one another and our neighbors, even those much different then us.

Psalm35 shows us that even in the midst of great adversity when we keep our attention on the Lord and his ways, we have many reasons to praise the Lord.

Acts 9 is the story of change. Saul, a Pharisee, is passionate for the Lord and truly believes that he is doing God’s work as he does all he can to destroy the followers of Jesus. He makes a name for himself with his devotion and willingness to use violence to accomplish what he believes is right. The problem is, he is wrong.

Not happy to hear the work of Jesus is spreading beyond Jerusalem and Judah he wants to head north to Damascus so that he can capture and bring back the followers who are teaching what he has come to believe is false so that they can be punished for their transgressions. As he travels there, he has this incredible experience on the road where first he is blinded and then the voice of Jesus speaks to him to tell him how wrong he has been in what he believed. He actually is working diligently against the will of God. He finds himself now physically blind to match his spiritual blindness that he allowed to develop. He completes his trip a humble man, seeing himself as God sees him, and led by the hand to the home of a disciple that takes him in. For three days he quietly reflects on this experience while fasting and wondering what lies ahead.

A devote disciple of Jesus is challenged by the Lord to go to Saul because Saul has been praying and the Lord gave him a vision that he would be the one to go to him and be the instrument to restore his sight. I have to admit every time I read this story I chuckle as I her the disciple say, “Lord to you know who this man is? I have heard the stories of the pain and destruction that he has brought to disciples like me.” The truth is he is afraid. God’s response, “Go! He is an instrument of mine. I will use him to expand my Word into the world that none of you can reach. The cost to him to do that will be great and he will suffer much for my name.” What he really is saying is, trust me.

That disciple believes God, does what is ask of him and is used by God to start the process of true transition from enemy to leader of God’s people. Saul is then introduced into the Christian faith community and his witness to the power of God to transform lives is so powerful those that he once represented seek to destroy him since he is now a threat to their power.

Saul travels to Jerusalem where they are hesitant to accept the change in him as well until the stories of his transformation travels to them and one has the courage to get to know him and introduce him into the faith community. Once again, his effectiveness endangers his life and he fleas because God has other plans.

This chapter ends with a story of Peter going into the Greek world and being an instrument of bringing a gentile back to life after she dies. Once again, we see God beginning to work towards this ultimate purpose, to bring the opportunity for salvation to the whole world.

As I read these passages, I couldn’t help but think about those times in these lives God was using times of slowing down to create transformation in them. Get them refocused on Him and demanding they trust He knew what He was doing, and His will would be done. Is there a lesson for us in these stories today?