How can we relate Saul's experience to our own spiritual awakenings? The Text in Focus Acts 9:9 — “For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink.” A Sudden Divine Interruption • Saul thundered toward Damascus, “breathing threats” (Acts 9:1), certain he was right. • Jesus broke in, stopping him cold. • Our own awakenings often begin the same way—God confronts cherished assumptions, halting us so He can redirect us. Three Days of Darkness • Literal blindness exposed Saul’s spiritual blindness. • Psalm 119:18 — “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.” Until God acts, we cannot see. • 2 Corinthians 4:6 connects: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts…” • Application: The awareness that we’ve been blind prepares us to welcome true sight. Fasting: Emptied to Be Filled • “He did not eat or drink.” His agenda, strength, even appetite shut down. • Moses (Exodus 34:28) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:8) experienced similar fasts before fresh revelation. • Isaiah 58:6 shows fasting as surrender that breaks chains; Saul’s chain was self-righteous zeal. • Spiritual awakenings today still involve moments where God empties us so He alone can satisfy. Waiting in Humble Silence • Saul sat in Damascus, helpless, listening. • Psalm 46:10 — “Be still, and know that I am God.” • Transformation deepens while we wait rather than strive. The Grace of Human Touch • God sent Ananias (Acts 9:17). • Awakening is personal yet never isolated; God places encouragers beside us. • Hebrews 10:24-25 underscores gathering and mutual spur-ring toward love and good deeds. Scales Fall, Mission Begins • “Something like scales fell from his eyes” (Acts 9:18). • Physical sight restored mirrored spiritual insight; he was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” • Immediately Saul moved from persecutor to preacher (Acts 9:20). • True awakening always bears fruit—new allegiance, new message. Connecting Saul’s Journey to Our Own 1. Interruptions: Look for the moment Christ stops you. 2. Darkness: Acknowledge blindness; stop pretending you see. 3. Emptying: Allow God to strip self-reliance. 4. Waiting: Sit quietly under His hand, listening. 5. Community: Receive help from faithful believers. 6. Illumination: Let the Spirit open Scripture and your eyes. 7. Commission: Step into the assignment He reveals. Other Echoing Passages • Genesis 1:2-3 — Light piercing primordial darkness. • John 9:39 — Jesus gives sight and exposes blindness. • Jonah 2:1-10 — Three days of confinement leading to fresh obedience. • Romans 12:2 — Transformation by renewing the mind follows surrender. Summary Takeaway Saul’s three-day pause illustrates how God arrests, empties, enlightens, and then releases His servants. When He interrupts our momentum, may we yield, wait, and rise with newly opened eyes—ready to proclaim the very Christ we once resisted. |
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