Weekly Devotion: A Time of Reconstruction – Three Days of Blindness

The Difference Between Belief and Transformation

Imagine driving through thick fog. The road you're familiar with becomes unfamiliar, forcing you to slow down. You turn down the music and focus more intently.
 
This is what God did with Saul. He took away his physical sight so he could develop spiritual insight. The fog we experience in life isn't always a sign of God's absence—sometimes, it's God slowing us down to refocus and reconstruct us.

Belief alone doesn't change us. Saul believed Jesus was Lord after encountering Him on the Damascus road, yet God left him blind for three days. Why? Because true transformation takes time. God wasn't just changing Saul’s beliefs—He was reconstructing his heart, mind, and purpose.
 
We often confuse belief with transformation. We think that agreeing with God's truth is enough. But transformation requires surrender, obedience, and time in God's presence—just like Saul experienced in those days of blindness and fasting.
 
James 2:19 reminds us: "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder."
 
Even demons believe the truth but remain unchanged. Saul’s three days of blindness were not punishment; they were preparation for his new life in Christ.

1. Stop Settling for Surface-Level Belief

Belief acknowledges truth; transformation applies it. Like Saul, we need to spend intentional time with God, allowing Him to reshape us.
2. Recognize That God Uses Discomfort to Develop Us  

Saul’s blindness forced him to depend entirely on God and others. God often uses discomfort to break our pride and build our faith.  
3. Embrace Fasting as a Tool for Spiritual Growth

Fasting, like Saul’s, is more than abstaining from food—it’s a posture of surrender. It says, "God, I need You more than anything else."
Psalm 119:71 (NASB 1995): "It is good for me that I was afflicted, so that I may learn Your statutes."

Prayer This Week

Lord, I don’t want to settle for belief alone. I want You to transform me from the inside out. Teach me to trust You in seasons of blindness, discomfort, and uncertainty. Help me to fast from distractions and allow You to reconstruct my heart and mind. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Final Thought

Saul entered Damascus blind and dependent, but after three days, he emerged transformed and mission-ready. Transformation isn’t instant; it happens in God’s timing and through our surrender. As a church, let's stop settling for belief and allow God to reconstruct us into His image.