Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, April 19, 2026
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Saul’s conversion was dramatic and epic. Ananias’ response to God’s invitation was far more understated, but incredibly brave.
Many who attend church regularly may be familiar with the story of Saul’s (Paul’s) conversion. It details how a man known for murdering believers was accosted by a bodiless voice and berated for his actions again Jesus’ people. The encounter was so dramatic and traumatic that Saul went temporarily blind and stopped eating and drinking altogether. The story is so epic, it is hard for us to forget.
The story doesn’t end there, though. The Lord then went to a man who was already a believer and directed him to find Saul nearby. There was no blinding light, no epic scene. The Lord came in a vision and Ananias was expected to obey. Most of us would discount the vision as a nightmare and shake it off, resuming our regularly scheduled programming the minute it ended. But Ananias not only recognized it as a vision, he obeyed! With all the courage he could muster, he walked directly into the presence of the man everyone knew would murder him simply for existing. But Saul had already been changed, and Ananias was safe. The two came together, Saul was baptized and ate, and the work of proclamation began.
It’s tempting sometimes to place more stock in the events of our lives that are so dramatic that we can never forget them, than in the small, daily happenings that are easy to miss. But both are critical to the furthering of God’s work. Not only can we celebrate the pastor who entered ministry because of a defining moment, but we can also celebrate the elderly believer who is rarely seen but has never missed serving a funeral lunch. Or even the kid who simply made it to church one morning without throwing a fit for their parents. Every action that moves us closer to God’s will for the world is monumental, even when we are too enamored by the blinding light to see it.
