PAUL AND THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD

“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. As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;  and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,  but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”  The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”  And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,  and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.”  But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem;  and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”  But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened.

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”  All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”  But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.“- {Acts 9:1-22}.

Jesus said regarding Paul “…he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” God chosen him, when? Before he was born according to Galatians 1:15-16. God had providentially controlled circumstances, events to bring to the end He desired, for Paul’s eternal welfare and his being drafted into service for the LORD to specifically testify to others of God’s wonderful Gospel. God at work before Paul was even born, and the unfolding of his life was bringing him daily closer to when the LORD intervened on the road to Demascus and his life was dramatically changed.

It didn’t just happen by “chance,” but by choice.- His choice!

And as a result God has unfurled His plan providentially down through the ages to read the words Paul penned under the influence of the Holy Spirit for future generations to spiritually benefit multitudes for eternal salvation. God’s providence unfurled and continuing to be unfurled!

Paul wrote,

“But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased  to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,”-{Gal 1;15-16}.

Before He was born God had chosen Him and then in his Time having circumstanced His life He intervened and saved him! Knowing all about him, and his viciousness against His people, The Providence of God! Paul in his own words described his life before Christ and his gratitude to Him, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service. I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor,and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy. And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus…”-{1 Tim 1:12-14.

Paul was chosen for Him, by Him.

He was chosen to suffer for Him.

He was chosen for Service… and not by accident or chance but by choice of Him who rules, reigns supreme and controls all!

Paul could look back and see the providence of God, who chose him for Himself, before he was born, HIS PATIENCE, His tracking and saving him. And his response? To thank Him! Thanksgiving isa good and proper response to Him who saves and has saved you to Himself. Look back and consider whom He brought into your life that you might hear of Him. Marvel that you too were chosen by Him before you were born{Read Gal 1:13-15}. Indeed chosen before the foundation of the world,to be holy, blameless in love He predestinedyou for adoption into His family-{Read Eph 1:4};

Was it by chance, or by choice?

When do these two passages say it happened? Before you were born, before He created the Heavens and earth, before the stars, sun and moon, the eternal God chose you for Himself, and as time passed, century after century you were born… and though dead in sin, god had gone ahead and provided for you at Calvary, His Son dieing to pay for your sin, and was raised that you may be right with Him! -{Read Rom 5:1-2}.

God loves you. God has pre-planned for you, providing you with physical life, sustaining you with breath, even when lost, dead in sin, opposed to Him with rebellion, helpless, hopeless, spiritually bankrupt, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. …”-{Eph 2;4-7}! He provided, sustained not only your physical life but provided you with spiritual, eternal life and will lead you all the way to His Father’s house… and you will see Him face to face and be with Him for all eternity, to adore, worship,praise thank Him , who will lavish His grace{KINDNESS} o you for all eternity. Such is the Providence of God… providing for you to the end His Name, and fame is known and on display!