A Transformed Life

Acts 9:1-9

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to
him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

Sometimes when I am feeling nostalgic I take time to look at pictures from when I was a child and a teenager. It is amazing when I compare the old photos to pictures taken recently how much I have changed. When I am looking at those pictures from the past I also think back to the kind of person I was, what I thought about certain things, and how God has changed and transformed me.

God is a God of transformations. For those who love Him and call Him Lord, He takes us, you and me, and through life experiences and circumstances, makes us into the people He wants us to be. We may look upon a past experience we thought to be “bad” and find that, years later, God is using that to teach us something and to prepare us for things we will face in the future.

Truly, God is never done with us! He is constantly working on you, leading you through tough times, bringing blessings upon you, and teaching you new things, all in an effort to transform you into the person He wants you to be.

Look at Paul in Acts chapter 9. Formerly known as Saul, the “great” Jewish persecutor of Christians, Paul is transformed after an encounter with Christ. If you were to have been alive during the days he was known as Saul, you would have never believed that he would one day be a great Christian leader. If Jesus Christ can turn Saul into Paul, He can take you from where you are today and lead you to where He wants you to be. And, He

can take those who we believe to be huge “sinners” and transform them into great people for Christ.

I have been blessed through the years as a youth minister to see Jesus Christ transform many people. Some have been huge transformations, while others have been simple. But each one has been significant and has reminded me that God sees in us great potential, even when we think there is none.

Today can be a day of transformation for you! If you are open to the Holy Spirit and willing to submit yourself to the will of God, He will move you in the direction He desires. Today is the day to pray for those who need to experience God’s transforming love and will.

Scott Meier