17 So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

18 At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized,

20 Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”

21 All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

22 But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

— Acts 9:17-18; 20-22

15 For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

16 So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

18 Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.

23 What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—

— Romans 9:15-16; 18; 23

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

Pauls eyes of heart were opened by encountering Jesus and at that time he realized what he had been missing all along. From that moment on Paul’s life was transformed, from being one of Christianity‘s greatest enemies to its most passionate advocate. Paul’s persecuting Christians didn’t disqualify him; instead God used it as part of His plan. Paul’s deep understanding of Jewish law and Roman culture uniquely equipped him to spread the gospel to Jews and gentiles alike in Romans.

We see in Paul the heart of a man who is not only an intellectual giant, but a living testament to the power of God‘s grace. Paul’s story means a lot for us today. It’s a reminder that God‘s grace is powerful enough to reach anyone no matter how far people may seem from Him. Paul’s transformation shows us that God doesn’t require us to be perfect. He simply calls us to be willing just as Paul was given a new identity and a new mission. God can take our past, our mistakes, and our weaknesses and turn them into something purposeful.