Daily Devotional for December 21, 2015
Acts 9
Scripture:
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
Observation:
The two young missionaries sat in the coffee shop. They felt a little strange sitting there waiting. Early that morning they sensed the Holy Spirit urging them to go. One said God had given her a vision of a man in a green vest. Were they supposed to talk to him? Witness to him? They didn’t know the details. Still, they obeyed.
Hours passed, and they felt awkward. Had they just wasted two hours sitting, doing nothing? Finally, a man, who had been sitting in the coffee shop all along, rose and walked to the counter to pay his bill. Reaching for his wallet, his hand moved his jacket, revealing a green vest.
At that point, the man discovered his wallet was missing. The missionaries paid the man’s bill, but they never saw him again. What’s important is they had obeyed. Sometimes what God asks Christians to do will meet someone’s physical need, and sometimes the actions will meet a spiritual need. The important thing is that God’s people obey Him.
Application:
- Personal Application: Hearing God’s voice is one thing. Being able to trust and obey takes a little more courage. Do your best to respond to God’s voice, not just hear it.
- Family Devotional: Read this chapter to your family. Ask them if anything spoke to them as you read. Talk about their answers and show them that one important aspect of this chapter is that when we hear God’s voice, we must trust and obey. Pray for them.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask the Lord to help you obey His voice.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that your family will be sensitive enough to hear God’s voice and courageous enough to trust and obey when they do.
Three-Year Reading Plan for Sunday, December 20 – Sunday, December 27:
- Sunday, December 20: Acts 8
- Monday, December 21: Acts 9
- Tuesday, December 22: Acts 10
- Wednesday, December 23: Acts 11
- Thursday, December 24: Acts 12
- Friday, December 25: Acts 13
- Saturday, December 26: Acts 14
- Sunday, December 27: Acts 15
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
Portions of this devotional are adapted from God’s Word for Today, November 19, 2014.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise marked, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblicia, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Fire Bible® elements including all Articles, the Bible Reading Plan, selected black and white maps and charts as noted, Book Introductions and outlines, color maps and the Color Map Index, footnotes, Study Notes, Subject Index, Themefinder™Index are the property of Life Publishers International, Springfield, MO U.S.A. All rights reserved.