Daily Devotional

-June 30, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-Chosen Vessels For Jesus-

“But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.’”

(Acts 9:15-16).

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus to the Lord Jesus Christ was one of the most drastic, dramatic, and delightful in the history of the church. While on the way to Damascus, with letters in hand from the chief priests to arrest and bring back believers to Jerusalem. He really believed that He was doing God’s will to quench this new way.

It is amazing how God turned things around so completely that Saul got saved and became the greatest apostle, the Apostle Paul, and servant of Christ. He was the greatest preacher, teacher, missionary, church planter, and leader the church has ever known. The Lord Jesus describes him as, “a chosen vessel.”

Ananias was also chosen to take him in, pray over him, and introduce to the believers in Damascus. It is easy to see why Ananias was skeptical over Saul. How could one who hated Jesus so much and was so against Him, change so radically to be His great proponent? Only the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit can accomplish this!

Paul was a living example of his own words in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” When Christ changes your life, you are never the same again! Before we are saved we are vessels of the devil; after we get saved we are vessels of Christ.

Paul’s mission, like ours today, is to bear the name of Christ. The Lord revealed to Ananias that Paul would, “bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” This is exactly what Paul did for the rest of his life. Nothing could stop him, he was on fire for the Lord until the day he was martyred for the sake of Christ. Acts 9:20 says of him in Damascus, “Immediately he preached the Christ, (or as it can be translated, Jesus the Christ) in the synagogues that He is the Son of God.” So many believers loved Paul, yet many Jews and false teachers hated him.

This brings us to Acts 9:16, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Vessels of Christ will never be popular among the masses due to their commitment and zeal for Jesus Christ. Jesus warned us that we would be hated as he was hated, and persecuted. Jesus said in Matthew 5:12-13, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Persecution takes many forms from physical abuse to false accusations, put downs, and other harsh treatment.

Paul was a chosen and clean vessel for the Lord. The Lord used him in a mighty way to touch so many lives. The Lord has chosen us also to be his vessels in this world. We are channels through which the Lord works in the power of the Holy Spirit. The hymn writer Mary E. Maxwell wrote, “Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me, a clean vessel in Thy hand; With no pow’r but as Thou givest graciously at Thy command.”

May the Lord use us as His vessels to spread the gospel and teach the Word. We must be emptied of self and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Have a blessed day serving the Lord as His chosen and clean vessels. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean