Damascus Road

Damascus Road

Repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Acts 3:19

I’ll never forget one Fourth of July camping trip I took in the Tennessee mountains. As darkness fell, I read the Bible by flashlight, seeking answers to questions I had buried for years. As soon as I finished my reading, my eyes closed, and I fell into a deep sleep. This slumber was different from any I had ever experienced. It was as if my mind were tumbling and free-falling, like a waterfall I’d seen earlier that day. An overwhelming peace filled my entire being, and everything seemed right with the world.

When my mind came to rest, I opened my eyes to the most fantastic countryside imaginable: Everything was vivid and brilliant. I inhaled the most fragrant scent—light and pleasing, like a mixture of citrus and lilac. I heard a trickling noise behind me and turned to see a running stream. As I moved toward the stream, I felt an icy but refreshing spray.

I heard an unmistakable voice calling me from a distance—though it didn’t make an audible sound; instead, it resonated inside of me and echoed outside, as if I’d heard it with my heart and soul. It was easily the most compelling yet comforting voice I had ever heard.

Though the circumstances were different, a man named Saul in the Bible had a similar experience. As a zealous persecutor of Christians, Saul was on his was to Damascus to arrest any believers he could find there. However, along the road, a light from heaven shone down on him, a voice called to him, and he found he’d been struck blind. But as he followed the irresistible call of the Lord, he regained his sight and became an ardent follower of Jesus. We know him today as the apostle Paul.

Paul and I are very different people, living in very different circumstances. Yet the Lord reached both of us in a similar way. Without warning, he appeared to us and spoke to us in an unmistakable voice. He healed our blindness so we could see the truth in full, vibrant color. We were both transformed and dedicated the rest of our lives to his Son, Jesus Christ.

TODAY’S RX

How did Jesus call you to himself? How did you respond? Pray that he would reveal himself to you today in an unmistakable way.

Thank you for meeting me where I’m at today, Father. It’s a comfort knowing you never lose sight of me as I journey through life. Continue to reveal yourself to me so that I may know you and love you more fully.