Day Nine. January 18. Galatians 1:11-24
This is such a profoundly unique tale. Paul, like the disciples who followed Jesus on earth, was also taught by Jesus Himself. He had unique credentials like no one else on the planet, actually. Paul was pursued by Jesus in an amazing way. It was Jesus who stopped him on that road to Damascus and spoke to him there. Paul was not converted by anyone’s testimony. No, he actually met the Lord in a blinding light that day. And then, Paul did not immediately go to chat with the other disciples. I find this fascinating. Paul went out in the wilderness of Arabia and met with God there.
It’s stunning to me, how many “wilderness times” are mentioned in the Bible. Let’s ponder. Abraham was called from the city of Ur to wander in a new land as a nomad for years. That was a wilderness of sorts, far from all he knew. Moses, after he killed the Egyptian, ran away to the wilderness, and tended sheep for forty years before God called him to rescue the people of Israel. The people of Israel themselves wandered in the wilderness. Elijah, after tremendous victories over the prophets of Baal, ended up tired and exhausted in the wilderness. John the Baptist preached in the wilderness. Jesus, after being baptized, was tempted in the wilderness. And here’s Paul, off to the wilderness to meet with the Lord Jesus and learn from Him.
Have you had “wilderness” times? Has God brought you to barren places to teach you life lessons in the stillness? I have had those times. We need to stop all the noise and all the busy sometimes in order to truly hear the living God who wants to meet with us. That’s why we take regular Sweet Selah Days in this ministry – days set apart to just “be” with our Heavenly Father. You can learn more about them here: https://sweetselah.org/sweet-selah-days/. If you sign up on our website for our emails, you will get a Sweet Selah Days booklet as a gift. There’s a special sweetness in a day where the only purpose is to meet with God. It can feel intimidating at first, but the rewards of giving God that kind of a “time sacrifice” are rich indeed.
So, in conclusion, Paul in our passage today was underlining for the Galatians that his teaching and learning was unique because it came directly from the living Lord Jesus. His teaching was trustworthy and right. No other voices that contradicted this teaching ought to be heeded.
My verse: Galatians 1:16 “to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.”
My response: This is startling and very unique. Like Jeremiah the prophet, Paul was chosen to see things no one else could see. Paul met the resurrected and ascended Jesus uniquely. He was instructed by YOU, Lord! Thank you for this reminder that Paul’s words were given to him through direct revelation from You, the Source. It’s so fascinating that – in light of this – Paul didn’t rush out to talk about it. Instead, he “went away to Arabia” where he was alone with You. Father, help me to go away with You in big and small ways before I run to humans. Give me an ever-growing thirst to be with You.
