Daily Devotional for Thursday, January 26th

Saul Goes to Tarsus

In any profession requiring specific skill and experience, new people generally do not just jump right in to the most responsible positions. Baseball players work their way up through the minor leagues as they prove their baseball mettle. Nurses work under a preceptor before being turned loose with the sickest patients. This doesn’t mean those folks are not working and contributing, but they all have a period where their work and commitment are watched and evaluated. This is true in God’s work as well; new believers would not generally jump right in to being a deacon or pastor; they would be assessed by others that they were ready for this; more importantly, God would be assessing their commitment and readiness.

This text is deceiving, and takes some study. The few verses in it might make some assume Paul went straight from the road to Damascus to his journey to Jerusalem. This is likely not the case. In verse 23 we see that “many days were fulfilled.” In Galatians 1:17,18 we learn that, in reality, three years passed! The disciples did accept Paul, and later sent him off to Tarsus, and that process was not instant. Paul was proven by his own actions and by the vouching of others.

Friends, for three long years the greatest missionary in history labored in relative obscurity; then, he went on to plant many churches and write much of our Bible. Paul probably had no idea of God’s great plan for him, but he did what he was called to do. Are we willing to do likewise?

Just a Thought. Sometimes we have to show we can be diligent in the “little” things before God gives us the “big” ones.

Wally Fry