The Road to Christmas

Prepare your heart for the holidays in this devotion with Heather Hart.

Bible Verse for Today

“Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.”

Acts 9:3

Devotion for Today

The Road to Christmas

Saul was on a mission. People were perverting everything he stood for, and he was going to put a stop to it. But then his world was turned upside down.

The sky lit up and a voice from Heaven called him by name. Christmas had come to Saul, but instead of hearing “well done, good and faithful servant,” he heard something that left him bewildered and confused: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”[1]

Saul was a religious scholar. He had devoted his life to God and His Word. He wasn’t persecuting God; these other people were distorting His Word and Saul was doing everything he could to defend it.

Maybe there was hope. Maybe he misunderstood. “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.[2] He knew this was the voice of God, but he needed more information.

“I am Jesus.”

Those three words had to have shook Saul to the core.

What I love most about this encounter is that Jesus reached out. He didn’t leave Saul to be a terrorist for the rest of his life and be turned away as one who never knew Jesus in the end. He walked right into Saul’s life and rocked his world.

I wonder how often we are just like Saul; misguided with good intentions.

We advocate for causes and bicker about politics. We see issues that matter but fail to speak the truth in love.  We are overcome with passion for Jesus but are blind to our own self-righteousness. I don’t know about you, but it happens to me all too often, and I see it online virtually every day.

I might not be a terrorist, but at times I can be a little (or a lot) like a Pharisee. But no matter where our zeal for Christ has led us astray, we can be encouraged that Saul became Paul. This terrorist became an evangelist. He traveled the world pointing others to Jesus and writing God’s Word.

When the angels announced that first Christmas, they said it was good news for all people. That meant it was good news for Saul, and it is good news for us, for everyone, today.

Christmas is coming. It came to Saul on the road to Damascus, and it comes to us wherever we are. It’s never too late to turn to Jesus. To stop making noise and start praising His name.

What I love most about this encounter is that Jesus reached out. Share on X

[1] Acts 9:4

[2] Acts 9:5