I've been reading/studying in Galatians.....what a neat book.....many nuggets of truth! I'm only in the first chapter, but so far it has been enlightening.
Paul has to begin his letter having to defend his apostleship and his authority of the Gospel given to him. He has to do this because the Galatians are starting to give ear to the "other" gospels being preached throughout the land......a sad situation. But Paul stands firm in his defense of the true Gospel.....he acknowledges that he was not taught by man, but had a direct experience with God and therefore received a very personal revelation about the true Savior......an experience and revelation that led to one of the most amazing transformations ever recorded......he was the most zealous persecuter of the Christians, yet was now the most passionate proclaimer of the Gospel. That in itself is evidence of authority!
One verse that caught my eye was vs 15...."But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace"
First of all, "but when it pleased God" is such a cool statement!
Not only did God 'create' Paul (for His good pleasure, no less), but God also called Paul into His grace. Paul gets it that God called him out, all the way from his birth, brought him through the trials, ordeals, seemingly success, etc, leading him down a certain path, all preparing him for 'this' ministry......as the proclainer of God's Word. Isn't that true for all of us? All of us have been separated from birth for a purpose... some to further the Gospel of Christ....... some to proclaim His Word...... all to walk a certain path. Paul was able to see the value in his particular journey....to see the reason behind every step he took.....how it eventually led him into the grace of God.
It took me a long time to get to that point.....to see the value of the road God led me down.....to see the beauty in the journey. I couldn't see that it was His hand guiding me.....at the time, it all seemed so random and out of control. But just as Paul, and as many of us, it took an encounter with the true and living Savior to really see the purpose He had set aside for me.....to appreciate the road chosen for me. My encounter was nothing to compare to Paul's on the road to Damascus...I wasn't hit with a bright light and struck blind.....I didn't have a verbal, audible interaction with God on a desert road.....but at some point I did meet God, and at that point Christ was revealed to me. And eventually, things became more and more clear....about why certain things happened, why I was allowed to go through the things I did. And in that clarity came a peace.....and the ability to see the beauty in the journey.
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace..."
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