When Christ Calls Your Name

“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’” —  Acts 9:4 (NRSVUE)

As a child, I grew up with bedtime Bible stories. There were stories of creation, the great flood, and the exodus of Israel. From the New Testament came stories of Jesus’ birth, life, and resurrection. But among the most captivating stories to my young eyes and ears was the radical conversion of Paul.

The awe of that 180‑degree turn—from fierce persecutor to passionate apostle—still stirs something in me. Perhaps because it is so different from my own coming to Christ, and likely yours. I don’t want to speak for you, but it’s unlikely you were struck down on a road, confronted by the risen Christ, and blinded for three days.

But my older self, looking back, realizes that the point of the story isn’t the spectacle. It’s the transformation. It’s the reminder that God can take a life—any life—and turn it in a new direction. 

And that kind of change, though quieter for most of us, is no less radical.

Paul’s story is dramatic, but the heart of it is universal. God meets him where he is—angry, convinced he is right, determined to stop the movement of Jesus. And yet God doesn’t destroy him. God redirects him. That’s the miracle.

Transformation doesn’t always begin with a blinding light. Sometimes it begins with a question that unsettles us. A truth we can’t ignore. A moment of clarity we didn’t expect. Sometimes it begins with a gentle nudge, a growing discomfort, or a longing we can’t quite name.

Paul’s story reminds us that God is not limited by our past, our mistakes, or even our stubbornness. God can take the very places where we are most misguided and turn them into the places where grace shines brightest. And if God can transform Saul, God can transform us—our habits, our assumptions, our relationships, our fears. Nothing is beyond the reach of God’s renewing love.

Where might God be turning you today? What part of your life is God inviting into the light? Where is grace trying to redirect your steps? You may not hear a voice from heaven, but the same Spirit who met Paul on the road is still at work—quietly, persistently, lovingly—shaping us into people who reflect Christ’s heart.

Gracious God, meet us on the roads we travel. Interrupt us when we are headed in the wrong direction. Open our eyes to your presence and our hearts to your transforming grace. Turn us toward the life you desire for us, and give us courage to follow where you lead. Amen.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Tim