
WEEK 4 – PURSUIT OF MERCY
Day 2 – Mercy Mends
Read Acts 9:1–19
What? (describe what happened in the story in your own words)
So what? (what this passage means to you in your own life.)
Now what? (what you are going to do differently because of this passage.)
Mercy Mends
If there was anyone who deserved punishment from God, it was Saul. He was doing so much damage and hurt in the name of religion—yet Jesus still chose to pursue him and show him mercy. There were two types of mending in this passage. The first was the mending of Saul’s heart. Saul “spewed murder” against the followers of The Way. He knew more about Scripture than anyone else. He followed the law and knew everything about God. But he did not know God’s heart. He was so wrapped up in the law and pride, he could not see the truth until Jesus took away his sight. The second type of mending was physical. Jesus used one of the men that Saul would have murdered to show His mercy and heal Saul’s eyes. Because of that display of radical mercy, God changed Saul’s name to Paul, and the world has never been the same.
God wants our hearts and our bodies to be mended just like Saul’s. Physically and emotionally, the Holy Spirit still moves and heals by faith in miraculous ways, to glorify God. Beyond physical healing, our hearts, which are evil, are being made new in the name of Jesus. Just like Saul, Jesus meets us where we’re at, on the road to places we should not be. He calls us by name and shows us the way we should walk.
Study Questions:
What was Ananias’ response to God asking him to go and heal Saul? Was God mad at Ananias for his response?
After having his sight restored, what was the first thing that Saul did? (Keep in mind, he had not eaten or drank anything for three days.)
Application Questions:
In what area of your life do you need the Lord’s mercy to mend you?
Do you believe that the Lord can still heal people today? Do you think He wants to?