“Open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light’ (Acts 26:18)
They are traveling down a dangerous road. Violence and hatred fill their minds and hearts. They thirst for destruction. Out of their mouths spew words of hatred, death threats, and selfish demands. Their evil hearts produce evil actions and words. I am talking about the character and conduct of some in America today. People who want to destroy America and everything that is still decent in this great nation. And let’s be honest with one another, it’s difficult to have compassion for them.
But then, I think of a man I am familiar with, who was traveling down a dangerous road once also. He was a Pharisee (a Jewish religious leader in the first century) who was hell-bent on getting to the city of Damascus in order to arrest the followers of Jesus Christ; put them in chains, and take them back to Jerusalem to kill them. The same hatred that we see in America today, filled the heart of Saul nearly 2,000 years ago. But on the day Saul traveled down that road to Damascus, a life altering event happened. His journey began as any normal pilgrimage would – that was until he came to a fork in the road. There he encountered a light so powerful that it caused him to fall to his knees. At that moment he heard a voice say, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9). Saul had encountered Jesus Christ – or should I say Jesus Christ had encountered Saul.
If you are familiar with the account of Saul’s conversion, you are aware that he was never the same after that trek down the Damascus road. His heart changed, his attitude changed, his motives changed, even his name changed. He was no longer Saul full of hatred and violence. He was now Paul, the greatest apostle who ever proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. He no longer was motivated by hatred and violence. From that day forward he was motivated by a love for Jesus Christ.
Encountering Jesus Christ changes people. And If God can change a hardhearted, bitter, evil minded young man named Saul, can He not do the same today in America to every man and woman who is right now devising evil plans to do harm to our country? Ezekiel 18:23 says, “So you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.” God is not into zapping sinners. God is the perfecter of making sinful people righteous people?
I believe we have a responsibility as Christ followers to pray for every Saul in America today. Every man and woman who is working to destroy our nation. Pray that God will, as he did with Saul, turn their hearts and lives around for his glory. No, I do not believe every person will see the light like Saul did. But I do believe that some of them simply have not encountered Jesus Christ on their road to Damascus – yet.
Darlene