Acts 22:10-21 CSB
"I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' "The Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.' [11] "Since I couldn't see because of the brightness of the light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus. [12] Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there, [13] came and stood by me and said, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight.' And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. [14] And he said, 'The God of our ancestors has appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the words from his mouth, [15] since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard. [16] And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.' [17] "After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance [18] and saw him telling me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' [19] "But I said, 'Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten. [20] And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.' [21] "He said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"
Isaiah 40:29-31 CSB
He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. [30] Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, [31] but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.
Trust in Jesus
As believers, we are surrounded by an abundance of divine promises and gifts. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within every single believer to teach us and strengthen us with grace. We have God’s Holy Word, which the Spirit uses to speak directly to our hearts. And we have the absolute guarantees of the Lord—promises that He will be with us, that He will guard us, and that when He returns, both the living and the dead who belong to Him will be gathered to be with Him forever. For anyone who has ever felt homeless, thrown away, or discarded by this world, it is a beautiful thing to know that we have a permanent family in the Lord: a multitude of fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers united by a shared faith and a genuine love for one another. Our guidance and protection do not look like the fragile, often failing systems of this earth; our faith is in the One who holds all power and deeply cares for our souls. He alone is fully able to protect us.
Jesus promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. We can confidently cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us. He invites all who labor and are heavy-burdened to come to Him for rest, reassuring us that He is gentle and lowly in heart, offering true rest for our souls. The yoke He places on a believer is never oppressive; it is light.
Our Lord gives power to the faint and the weary. Even when we are completely exhausted, those who trust in the Lord will rise up on wings like eagles. We will run and not grow weary; we will walk and not faint. Our Lord will supply our every need when we roll our heavy burdens onto Him, because He is faithful to sustain us.
These are just a few of the profound promises given to us as Christians. Paul didn’t just write down these truths to encourage and strengthen the early churches; he relied heavily on them himself as he served. In the middle of his own exhaustion, he leaned hard into God’s strength, and Jesus used him mightily to carry the Gospel of peace across the entire known Gentile world.
Standing on the steps of the barracks, Paul recounted the miracle of his own journey to a hostile crowd that would have happily seen him stoned. He described the blinding light of the Lord that knocked him to his knees in total surrender. Like Paul, when God takes away the scales from our eyes, we finally see the foolishness of believing the world’s lies instead of the truth of our Savior. It is a deeply humbling experience. It naturally brings us to a place of repentance.
With this vivid revelation, Paul received his specific calling and direction. The Lord sent Ananias to heal Paul’s blind eyes in the name of Jesus, commanding him to get up, be baptized, and wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Though the Lord explicitly commissioned Paul to go to the Gentiles, Paul still carried a profound, lifelong heartbreak for his Jewish brothers and sisters, preaching the Gospel to them every chance he got. This deep love brought him relentless trouble, brutal beatings, and frequent imprisonments. Paul was certainly no stranger to suffering, but he kept his eyes anchored on the promises of being in Christ. He understood that this earthly life is merely a mist that appears for a little while and then quickly vanishes. Paul wasn’t looking at his immediate environment; he was looking at an eternity secure in the Lord, recognizing that our present troubles are incredibly small when compared to the grand, eternal picture of God’s love.
Reflection Questions
- When you feel exhausted and weary from the trials of life, do you tend to isolate yourself, or do you actively lean on the Holy Spirit and the family of believers God has placed around you?
- Paul asked, “What should I do, Lord?” and immediately followed the instructions he was given, even though it meant facing immense hardship. Is there a specific direction or prompting the Lord has placed on your heart that you are delaying or hesitating to follow?
- How can shifting your perspective from your immediate, temporary troubles to the massive scope of eternity change the way you handle stress and adversity this week?
Prayer
Father,
Thank You for the incredible wealth of Your promises and the constant presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Forgive us for the times we look at our present, temporary troubles and lose sight of the eternal home You have prepared for us. We praise You that You give strength to the weary and power to the powerless. Help us to cast all our anxieties on You today, trusting that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. Give us the humility to ask, “What should I do, Lord?” and the courageous faith to follow Your voice wherever You lead, resting securely in Your unchanging love. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
