Special Plans for Saul

TEXT: Acts 9:1-22

Saul was deep in thought as he hurried along the road to the city of Damascus. He frowned as he thought about the people there who called themselves Christians. He hated them! He was glad that at last he had a plan to get rid of these people.

Before leaving Jerusalem, he had gone to see the high priest. The high priest did not like Jesus either. In fact, he had helped those who put Jesus to death on the cross. He was happy to do what he could so Saul could get rid of the Christians. He gave Saul a letter with orders that would give him permission to bring the Christians back to Jerusalem. There they would be beaten and put into prison. Some of the Christians would even be put to death. Isn't that awful?

Because Saul hated the Christians so much, the high priest could count on him to carry out his orders. Saul was going to Damascus to find them. But Jesus had other plans for Saul.

As Saul went down that dusty road, a bright light shone right down from heaven all around Saul. It was so bright that Saul could no longer see. The light had blinded him!

Saul was so afraid, he fell to the ground. Suddenly he heard a voice speaking from Heaven. "Saul, Saul, why are you treating Me this way?"

Saul shook with fright. He said quickly, "Who are You, Lord?" Then he heard the voice say, "I am Jesus."

At that very moment Saul believed that Jesus was really God's Son. He asked Jesus, "What do You want me to do?" Jesus told him to go into the city, and someone there would tell him what he should do.

Saul stood up. He opened his eyes but he still could not see. The men with him had to lead him by the hand the rest of the way to Damascus. When he arrived he stayed three days in the home of a man named Judas. There he spent his time praying.

You see, Jesus had special plans for Saul's life. He told a Christian by the name of Ananias to go to Saul. At first Ananias was afraid. He knew that Saul was an enemy of the Christians. But Jesus told him that He had special plans for Saul's life. He would tell many people about Jesus.

When Ananias came to the house where Saul was, he prayed for him, as God had told him to do. Saul's eyes were healed! He could see again!

Saul was a changed man. No longer did he hate Christians. Now he was a Christian! He spent his time telling other people about Jesus and how they could become Christians too. He later became known as Paul the Apostle, and he worked for God all the rest of his life.

PARENT'S CORNER

We are beginning a unit on the life of Paul the Apostle, the great missionary-evangelist to the Gentiles. Our Bible story for the first lesson of this unit tells us of the unusual events which surrounded his conversion.

As your child studies the great change which took place in Paul's life, he will learn that salvation for each person is just as real, though possibly not as dramatic. The Bible tells us that at conversion, old things pass away and all things become new. To illustrate this point for your child, let him help you make a collection of old and new items. Some examples might be: an old shoe and a new shoe, an old magazine and a new one, an old toy and a new one.

Arrange the items you selected in a display on a table. Then let your child explain to the rest of the family the significance of the grouping and how a person's life can be changed through salvation.