ESOCS Devotional 28 June 2025 – God Can Use Anyone
MEMORY VERSE: “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” Acts 9:1
TEXT: ACTS 9:1-16
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.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children[c] of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
Every time I read this story; I stand amazed at the great grace of God. I see the Lord take this man Saul, save him by grace, and transform him into the great Apostle to the Gentiles; and I realize that there is hope for people like you and me to be used of the Lord. Our past condition is no obstacle (v 1 – Paul was a Murderer). This is according to his own testimony (Acts 22:4; 26:10). Paul was a rebel against the Lord Jesus. Religiously, he was a man to be envied, but internally, he was as wicked as any man who had ever walked the face of the earth (Acts 7:58).
Our past will not prevent us from being used by God. When He saves our soul, He washes our past away forever (Jn. 3:7; Ps. 103:12; Isa. 38:17; 43:25). Throughout the Bible, God used people in spite of, and after their greatest of failures. Simon Peter preached his greatest message and had his greatest ministry after he denied the Lord. Moses was a murderer, yet God used him for His glory. Samson sinned against God, yet he slew more Philistines in the end of his life than he had during his entire ministry. Abraham lied, yet he was used of the Lord. Jacob was a deceiver, yet the Lord transformed and used him greatly.
Our present circumstances are no obstacles (v 2 – the example of Paul). Paul was on his way to Damascus to find Christians to arrest and to take them to their deaths. He was filled with hatred and wanted nothing more than to completely destroy anyone or anything connected with the name of Jesus Christ. Yet, in spite of all this, the Lord was able to change this man and to use him for the glory of God. God can do the same thing in your life and mine. He can take us, with all the baggage that we carry, and He can use us for His glory. We all bring certain liabilities to the table. Some are uneducated, others have few resources; some are weak in faith, while others are arrogant and filled with pride. However, the Lord is able to take us exactly where we are, change what needs to be changed and then use us greatly! Again, the Bible is filled with this kind of story. Moses was 80 years old when the Lord called him into the ministry. The Gadarene Demoniac. What I want us to see this morning is that our present circumstances have not caught the Lord by surprise! He knows everything there is to know about us.
CHALLENGES
- Everything we have achieved is by the grace of God. Our self-righteousness is nothing.
PRAYER POINT
- Father, make me an instrument in my generation.
FURTHER READING: Ezekiel 23:32-49; 24:1-14; Acts 9:17-30
ESOCS Devotional 28 June 2025
