Saul was a high-profile Pharisee who was well known for his persecution of the church. He was the one who scattered the Christians of Judea. As we have seen, God used that circumstance to actually spread the Gospel. The reason why Saul was on his way to Damascus in Syria was because the Christians had spread way up there already and were making an impact. Imagine the response of the Christians when they began to hear rumours that Saul had become a Christian! Even the apostles struggled to believe it was true. More baffled still were the rest of the Jewish community who immediately struck out at Saul. It was a remarkable event and only possible because the Gospel was and is more than a new idea. It is, as Paul (previously Saul) later said: “The power of God that brings salvation” (Romans 1:16). There are no ‘impossible people’ in the world. No one is out of Jesus’ reach. As Ezekiel saw, even dry bones can come to life (Ezekiel 37). Don’t ever assume that a person is impervious to God. History is full of examples of ‘impossible people’ like Saul coming to faith. Don’t stop praying and sharing your faith. Love “always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:7). The walls of Jericho were impenetrable, but God brought them down (Joshua 6:20). If God will harden a heart (i.e. Exodus 4:21) then how much more will he be willing to soften a heart? The power of persistent prayer is greater than the power of a resistant heart.
Pray again for those who are still resistant to God’s love.
Read Acts 9:20-31
