Tuesday, July 26 – Acts 9:3-9

Now as he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.” The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Humility is not something many people seek naturally but it is key in the kingdom of God. The feeling of being small or wrong is something we often use all our energy to avoid. We build our reputations, homes, and livelihood so that we feel in control, doing what we think is right. We avoid those moments where we have to swallow our pride or say we are wrong. Paul, looking back on his former way of life, recognized his arrogance (1 Timothy 1:12-13). For many of us, the nature of self-preservation leads to pride too. God, knowing Paul’s heart, appeared to him in a way that Paul would come face to face with the truth of the gospel.

God led Paul to ask for help from the very people he persecuted. What a lesson in humility! Humility is valuable to God because it opens our eyes to the reality of who He is and who we are not. We are not in control, even though we want to be. We are not the ultimate judge of others, even though we want to be. We need God to open our eyes to areas of pride in our lives. Hebrews 12:11 says, “For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” When Paul encountered God, he humbled himself and listened to God’s direction. No matter our story, when should respond to an encounter with God in the same way.

• What is valuable about humility? What is difficult for you about being humble?
• What are some difficult things that God is trying to teach you right now?
• Pray and ask God to open your eyes to areas where you need to grow in His image.