Could it be that we are on our road to Damascus? The road in which the plans that were made by man have been intervened by God? Could it be that we are on the path of God’s mercy and grace? Sure, it doesn’t ‘feel’ like a gracious and merciful one, but could it be that is where we all find ourselves today?
On the road to Damascus, Saul, who later became Paul, was on his way to fulfill his own plans to persecute and kill Christians. Yes, he had made his plans, but God “brick walled” them, causing them to come to a screeching halt. Instead, Saul found himself knocked off his donkey and suddenly blind. His sudden blindness would be a means that God would use to give him true sight. It would be a means of God bestowing upon him true mercy and grace. It would be a means in which God crippled Saul so that he could look past himself to see and acknowledge God. Saul was finally moved from a position of leading others, to being led himself, and ultimately being led to the Savior.
Looking back, I can see how important my schedule and my plans have been to me. I keep a purse sized calendar with me most of the time and I looked at it constantly. I feel like I lived by the calendar! I look back and see how easily our time was filled, but now all of those things, what was deemed as high priority, have been taken away. My plans, my schedule has been “brick walled” by COVID-19, and everything has come to a screeching halt.
Saul had his own vision and plans that he sought to carry out, but they were not the plans of the Lord. The Lord instead, had plans to make Saul His “chosen instrument to carry His name before the Gentiles.” (Acts 9:15) And could it be that we also have made our own plans that we have sought to carry out that were not the plans of the Lord?
God took what was important to Saul- his sight and his plans, but God took them away only to give both of them back to him completely restored. He gave Saul new sight and new plans. The plans of man are many, but it is the plans of the Lord that will always prevail (Proverbs 19:21).
During this time, could it be that we are also on our Damascus road? Is this a time where God has put us in a place where we are to stop leading our own lives, allowing Him to lead and us follow? Could it be that all that we feel that has been taken away from us is really a means in which God desires to give them back to us completely restored and made completely new?
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have ever lasting life.” John 3:16 beautifully depicts God taking our broken world, “brick walling” the plans of sin, and giving a perfect means for complete restoration! God is good at making all things new!
Highlighting the hope that we have in Christ! 