Experience: S2 - Day 11

The risk of taking a new path

Acts 9:17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.

We’ve used this story of Saul’s conversion as a metric for our stories.  Some might even say, “Well, yes, I became a follower of Jesus, but it wasn’t a Damascus Road-type experience.” Sometimes, we can glorify certain types of conversions while downplaying others.

For example, we are wowed by the person who was a gang-member and a self-proclaimed Satanist, who then had an encounter with Christ and now travels the country speaking to youth groups about how Jesus saved his life.  We sometimes celebrate those stories while at the same time feeling bad about the fact that our own story is less dramatic.  In fact, if we were born into a denomination, grew up going to church, and still do, we sometimes say we don’t really have a testimony to share.  However, I don’t think this could be further from the truth.  I think both stories are powerful, and both stories should be celebrated.  The important part of any of our testimonies is, have you met the risen Lord?

And sure, maybe you met him in a prison cell after being arrested for a DUI, or maybe you met him in a pew on a Saturday morning where you attended church every week, but one day, there he was, Jesus.  Whatever your story, remember, it’s your story, and it matters to God.

Obviously, Saul’s experience was dramatic.  He was so sure of one thing, one version of the story, that he was willing to kill for it.  Then he met the resurrected Jesus and became sure of something else, another version of the story, and for that, he was willing to be killed.
Whatever your story is, what matters is that you come to meet the risen Lord, that you look into His eyes, and that you see Him staring back at you with a love so deep and so profound that you can’t imagine living without it.  When you have that conversion experience, you’ll never return to who you were before.  And that, my friends, is a risk worth taking.

Questions:

1. What’s your testimony, that day or season, when you first came to meet Jesus?
2. Do you believe that Jesus loves you, died for you, and can’t wait to return to be with you forever?
3. If so, what are you willing to risk to make Him the most important thing in your life?