More of the Story: Ravage and Renew

And Saul approved of their killing him.
That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison. ~ Acts 8:1-3

The pattern of the prodigal is: rebellion, ruin, repentance, reconciliation, restoration. ~ Edwin Lewis Cole

Another word for "ruin" is "ravage."
Saul - Paul - was a ravager of the church.
What comes to mind when you hear the work "ravage?" In addition to ruin, other synonyms are: devastate, destroy, demolish, wreak havoc on, level, leave desolate, wipe out, and rape.
Saul - Paul - was a ravager of the church.
Yet that's not the part of the story we remember about Paul. It isn't who we believe him to be at the end of the day.
It isn't the thing that ended up defining him - as awful as it was.
I admit. It's hard to imagine sometimes that we aren't defined by the worst parts of ourselves.
Can you imagine then a God who defines you by your best and not your worst? By your renewal, not your ruins? 

And then turns around and does it for everyone else as well?


Prayer: I am so glad, God, that you are the one who defines me. Forgive me when I destroy. Forgive others who leave me desolate. Make all things new from the waste that we leave behind. Amen


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