A certain man hated a group of people so much that he made it his purpose in life to make them suffer. He oversaw many of their deaths, uttering threats with every breath. This wasn’t a Nazi general, but the Apostle Paul. When Paul eventually encountered God, the experience left him blind and unable to eat for three days, but it began a complete transformation in him (Acts 9). A murderer became one of God’s most faithful messengers.
Paul, violent and hateful, was brought to the end of himself so that God could work through him. Paul was literally brought to his knees in suffering. Writer Kathi Graves wondered, “What if the searing light of suffering that pulls the rug out from under us is the only way to our knees?” God can transform our hearts too, but crippling circumstances are often the catalyst for this change.
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
Heart transformation happens through the Holy Spirit working in us, not by our own will alone. God says he will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you, replacing your heart of stone with a heart of flesh. He will put His Spirit in you and move you to follow Him (Ezekiel 36: 26-27). God changes hearts in astounding ways. If you feel like the rug has been pulled out from under your life, ask God to use the opportunity to transform your heart.
Resource Reading: Acts 8:1-3 and Acts 9:1-31
