Daily Devotional for Saturday, December 7

Paul's Travels from Jerusalem

"Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; and was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: but they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me;' Galatians 1:21-24

Where you go may be determined by who you are. In the year 2015, my wife and I were blessed to travel to a special land called Israel. It is a land made holy not by what is there but by who was there. I will never forget the words of our Israeli tour guide, Kader Biscobi, as we boarded the tour bus outside the airport in Tel Aviv. He said, "Welcome home!" Many in our group of twenty-two had never been to Israel; yet, I knew immediately what he was saying and why he said it. I felt more at home in this "foreign land" than I did in Arkansas.

Travelers are required to have proof of their identity. Our passports were required at each point of entry. Each security officer looked at the picture on our passport, looked at us, and was convinced we were who we said we were. Our picture was our identity.

As I read of Paul's travels from Jerusalem, I find that he also underwent an identity check. However, Paul was not identified by the form of his face but by the transforming of his life. The churches of Judaea had heard of the man named Saul who had been changed from a persecutor of the church to apreacher in the church.

The credentials as a follower of Jesus are much more than an exterior appearance. The proof of identity is the evidence of a changed life. Paul possessed this new creature credibility. His reputation had preceded him. Paul's transformationhad achieved the ultimate goal of all believers, God was being glorified in him.

A FINAL THOUGHT

While walking with Jesus may take you to faraway places, just know you will never walk alone.

John Nations