Welcome to our new project, the Daily Bible Devotional. The goal is to help you understand and apply

scripture as you go through a New Testament Bible read five days a week, Monday through Friday,

as we move from Matthew straight through to Revelation. In under four minutes each morning, we will recap the chapter,

make some application, present thought questions for the day, and offer a prayer together.

I'm excited about exploring God's word with you, so let's get started.

Welcome today. Thanks for going on this journey with me. Today we are in Acts chapter 22. The Apostle Paul

addresses the crowd in Jerusalem after his arrest. He shares his testimony detailing his background

as a devout Jew educated under Gamaliel and his earlier zeal for persecuting Christians.

Paul recounts his dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus,

where God blinded him and instructed him to wait for further guidance.

In Damascus, Ananias, a devout servant of Christ, heals Paul's blindness.

He then commands Paul to be baptized to wash away his sins and explains God's mission for him to become an apostle to the Gentiles. This story incites the predominantly

Jewish listeners to demand his death. The Roman commander prepares to flog Paul but hesitates

when he learns that he is a Roman citizen.

He is then brought to stand before the Jewish council.

Paul's conversion story is recounted three times in the book of Acts.

On this occasion, Paul himself shares the story with the Jews who called for his arrest.

In this hostile setting, he describes how God

intervened to guide him toward true faith in Jesus. He emphasized how God worked in his life

to redirect his passion towards righteous ministry. He spoke the truth, even though it provoked

anger among the audience. This is the humility and courage we strive to

cultivate in our lives. If God is working to redirect you for his purpose, submit to him.

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