Devotions
Monday, May 18, 2020
Pastor Chamron Phal

Acts 9-10

Acts 9

1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. 20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

What can we take away from this fascinating story of Saul of Tarsus? There are a few things we can take away for our daily walks with Jesus: 1) No matter what bad or worst things we have done, where we come from, or who we are, God still loves us. God looks after us. God longs for us to come back to Him. He always opens His heart and His hands to accept us the way we are. 2) When we humble ourselves before God and are honest about ourselves, and realize how lost we are without God in our lives and that we all need a Savior to redeem us from our wretched, sinful condition, that will cause us to come to God for salvation. 3) Oftentimes we don’t know what to do in life or what to do next, and we need to ask the same question that Saul of Tarsus asked the Lord Jesus: “Lord, what do You want me to do?” When we do that, God’s Spirit in us and through His Word will tell us what exactly we should do.

Acts 10

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

What can we take away from this interesting story of Cornelius, a Roman Centurion? There are few things we can take away for the good of our souls: 1) Even though some of us have done good in life, we still are not good enough to go to heaven without Jesus. God said in His Word, “No one can go to heaven without believing on Jesus, His beloved Son.” (John 14:6; 1 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7). 2) Without God the living Jesus, there is always something lacking and missing in our life. 3) Only through the precious and powerful name of Jesus can we be saved and redeemed for our sins.

May the good and gracious God richly bless your heart, your hands, your home and your health all the days of your life in your daily walk with the King Jesus. Amen.