“I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’”
Acts 22:7 (NLT)
Paul is standing in front of the same people who were just trying to beat him, and he tells them the story of when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. In Acts 9, Luke writes the story for believers. Here in Acts 22, Paul is preaching the story to the Jews. But in both places, there is this very bright light from heaven at noon. It’s bright enough to overwhelm everything around Saul. When Jesus showed up, Paul went to the ground.
That matters. Paul did not just fall because the light was bright. He was in the presence of God. Jesus spoke, and Saul got low enough to listen. That posture became part of his walk with the Lord. When Ananias came to pray for him, Saul was still in a surrendered place on his knees, waiting for Jesus to heal his body and fill him with the Holy Spirit.
Today, this reminds me that some of the practices that marked the beginning of our walk with Jesus may need to come back. Maybe it is getting on your knees again and talking to Jesus. Maybe it is returning to a body of believers with worship, prayer, and teaching, where you first met Jesus. When you go back, Jesus can meet you again, take the blinders off your eyes, fill you with the Holy Spirit, and change your life through one encounter with Him.
And these practices are not just meant to be private memories. Paul kept praying on his knees, but he taught others to do it too. In Acts 21:5, an entire congregation kneels on the beach and prays with him. Whatever the Lord reminds you of today, whether it is something to practice again, something to share, or both, listen to Him. Let’s get back on the ground today and experience the great light of Jesus Christ.