You're Hired!!

Whenever a person wants to apply for a new job they must fill out an application. Sometimes businesses will go one step further and require a resume and or a background check. They want to know that the person they are thinking of hiring is a capable, knowledgeable and experienced person for the job. They want to know when that person starts that position they will be an asset to their company.

In God’s “business” though no background checks or resumes are required – much less experience. Take Saul of Tarsus for example. He was a persecutor of the church – and the Lord used him in a powerful way.

In Acts 8:3 we read “But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.”

In Acts 9:1 we read another account of Saul “Now Saul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

Saul of Tarsus was in our words of today “Bad to the bone.” People were terrified of him. They were in fear for their lives, but the Lord knew that he was truly not “Bad to the bone.” The Lord had a plan all along for Saul, and He would use Saul in an amazing way.

Saul started his day out most likely like any other day. His mission was to persecute the church. So, one day he was on his way to do just that, and then all of a sudden the Lord literally “blind-sided” him. Jesus struck down Saul with a bright light and said unto him “Saul, Saul, why persecuted thou me?”

Saul's answer was “Who art thou Lord” and the Lord said back “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Saul by then is terrified and says, “What do you want me to do”? Jesus then answers him and says, “Go into the city and it will be told to him what he must do.”

Now the other men who were with Saul heard Jesus’ voice but didn’t see anything. They then had to help Saul into the city because of him being blinded. While there he didn’t eat or drink anything in those three days but did pray.

During that time, he had a vision that a man named Ananias would come to him, put his hands on his face and he would see again.

The Lord also at this time tells Ananias to go to Saul who is expecting him, because he had a vision. The important thing to know is Ananias knew who Saul of Tarsus was. I imagine at first, he was scared – maybe in fear of his own life. He was though obedient to what the Lord had asked of him which is amazing.

The Lord told Ananias that Saul was a chosen vessel for the Lord. That he was meant to bear the name of Jesus before everyone. When Ananias went to Saul he did as the Lord instructed him to, and prayed over him and Saul’s eyesight was restored. Saul was also filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized. When he had regained his strength, he went out to preach the name of Jesus and to testify that He was the Son of God.

This story is so incredible, and yet it gives us hope. If the Lord could use a man whose main focus was to kill Christians He can and will use each of us. Our past has no hold on us in God’s eyes. He does not require a “background check” or even a “resume.” It does not matter to God what we have done in our past. Absolutely we need to repent and seek the Lord and His path for our lives, but our past does not limit our future in God’s plan.

Jesus took a man and in three days completely changed his life forever – for the better. He also changed his name from Saul to Paul. The Lord used that same passion that Saul had for persecuting the church and turned it around and made his mission for Christ his passion. Think about how many books of the Bible we have because of Paul’s writings. Paul was absolutely sold out to Jesus – no matter what the cost to him.

This story of Paul shows us how much God loves us and definitely has a plan for us. We need to as Paul says in Philippians 3:13 “Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”

Paul knew that how the Lord changed his life was truly a gift. He pressed on each day as if it was his last to win souls for Jesus, and the Lord was always with him.

In each of our lives, we all have a “past” – things that we wish we could forget. What we fail to always remember is that God created us for His purpose, and His plans do not change. We have total forgiveness of our sins through the shedding of His blood, and the Lord says He no longer remembers our sins – so why do we?

He is always on our side regardless of our “past”, and He wants to use each of us. When you have those moments and think “God could never use me – I have made too many mistakes” think of this story of Paul and let it remind you that with God all things are possible and that if he used Paul He would use you.

Are you willing to be used?

Will you be sold out to Him?

Will you let Him be your passion?