Daily Devotional | An Unlikely Convert

It used to be common for high school yearbooks to designate someone from the graduating class as “Most Likely to Succeed.” If Saul of Tarsus had attended high school, he might have been chosen for that honor. But I think he would also have been considered the “Least Likely to Follow Jesus.”

We can certainly all agree that Saul (later known to the church as Paul) was an unlikely convert. A fierce enemy of the faith, his plan was to arrest Christians in Damascus and then bring them to Jerusalem for trial. His targets were probably believers from Jerusalem who had fled because of persecution. But Saul’s campaign of terror was cut short by a blinding light from heaven and a challenge from Jesus (vv. 4–5).

Saul wasn’t persuaded by argument but through a personal confrontation by the living Christ! Once in Damascus, the Lord sent Ananias to pray that Saul’s sight would be restored and to baptize him. The result was dramatic. Saul did not waste any time but immediately began to tell others in the synagogues of Damascus “that Jesus is the Son of God” (v. 20).

When Saul returned to Jerusalem, the believers were wary of him. After all, he was well known for persecuting the church. It took Barnabas, who may have known Saul before, to introduce him and persuade believers that his conversion was genuine. Just as he had in Damascus, Saul immediately began telling others about Jesus. His boldness sparked a hostile reaction among Greek-speaking Jews. When the believers learned that they planned to kill Saul, they sent him to Tarsus by way of Caesarea.

>> Newcomers often need help to find their place in the church. Is God calling you to be a Barnabas to someone in your church this week? If you can’t think of anyone, ask your pastor for someone who could use a welcoming friend. Start by asking what led them to the Lord or to your church.