God's Holy Fire: 'God of Surprises!'

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Merry Christmas!

We pray the Lord blesses you with the grace of Jesus' presence this Christmas!

 Read More
So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
— Acts 9:17 MESSAGE

Key Thought

Acts 9 tells the story of one of the church's greatest enemies becoming one of its most passionate leaders. No one could have expected this complete turnaround to happen, especially not Saul of Tarsus. (Saul later becomes known as the apostle Paul, using his Roman name when his mission was primarily among Gentiles.) Emboldened by the Holy Spirit and seeing the evidence of the Spirit in Saul's life, the early followers of Jesus overcame Satan's barriers to see grace triumph over their enemies. For Saul (Paul) to become a great leader in this movement of grace and good news, he had to be filled, inspired, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, which is exactly what our verse today tells us was about to happen: Saul was about to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and the world would be changed by the Spirit's work through him!

Today's Prayer

Loving Father, I recognize the conquering mercies of your grace demonstrated for us at the cross. Thank you for showing your merciful power in reaching Saul, turning him around, and using him in the movement of your grace in ways that no one could have anticipated. Thank you, O God of grace and surprises. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Comments

Archived Facebook Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'You Light Up My Darkness' (Ps. 18:28)
"You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Divine Direction' (Acts 10:4-6)
"Cornelius stared at [the angel] in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel. And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have..."
What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'Find Life!' (Mk. 8:35)
"[Jesus said to the crowd,] "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: Psalms 45:7
""Be ye angry, and sin not." There can hardly be goodness in a man if he be not angry at sin; he who loves truth must hate every false way. How our..."

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 9:17 MESSAGE — "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations