Acts 22:6–16

Saul of Tarsus  persecuted those who believed in Jesus as the Messiah. But God used his zeal for the glory of His Son and to spread the Gospel of Salvation. He saw and believed. 

Blessed are those who, without seeing believe, in the birth, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Acts 26:16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

God guards our lives. He sees what we don't see, and He knows things we don't know; the past, present and future are all in His hands. Before we were conceived, God knew we would need a Savior to rescue us from life's troubles.

Jesus: our Advocate in times of adversity and the ultimate Sustainer of our faith. When life becomes complicated and grief and loss vie for our attention, let us draw near to Jesus. Let's ask Him to help us view our circumstances through the lens of certainty and belief in the power of God, knowing His sovereign hand is always working for our good. 

Our enemy isn't God, nor is it anything God allows within our lives. It's Satan: the accuser, liar, adversary and deceiver.

Satan wants to separate us from our faith and the love of God…

As believers, we can wear the full armor of God to stand against the enemy's schemes. We have the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness that comes from Christ (Ephesians 6:14). We have our feet fitted with the gospel of peace, and we bear the shield of faith; the helmet of our salvation; and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word (Ephesians 6:15-17).

Although Satan desires to dismantle our beliefs during times of loss and grief, we've been given everything we need to remain in faith. When we encounter suffering, we can face it through God's strength and fight Satan, the true enemy, knowing we can't lose any battle with God on our side. Because of God's authority, we win! Hallelujah!First5 

Romans 8:17 says, “we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” You are headed home! Max Lucado

Acts 22:6–16

6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ 17 “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ” The New King James Version

Paul’s reaction matches the reactions of those in the old testament who have divine encounters. Paul’s description echoes Daniel 10:7, where people around the prophet could not understand the entire event but knew the vision was terrifying. 

Since Ananias, an upstanding Jew, approved of Paul, then other Jews should not object. God of our fathers reinforces that the God who commissioned Paul is the God of Israel, Yahweh. This phrase is used in the old testament to refer to Yahweh and to His promises. The Righteous One is the title used in the prophecy of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53:11, to refer to how the Suffering Servant makes others right before Yahweh via His death and resurrection This matches Jesus’ original commission at the beginning of Acts 1:8. Faithlife Study Bible

Paul shared his personal testimony. God has given to each of us a testimony of how He has changed our lives. We must share that testimony to everyone who will listen. Peter exhorts us in 1 Peter 3:15 always to be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us. 

The men who had accompanied Paul heard the sound but could not understand the words that were being spoken to Paul. 

Calling on the name of the Lord saves us. 

Baptism is the declaration of that calling. The NKJV Study Bible

Acts 9:7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.

Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”