From Darkness to Light – May 5, 2025

Read: Acts 9:1-22

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 9:17

From Darkness to Light

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Are you afraid of the dark? Sometimes the dark can be scary—funny shapes, creepy shadows, strange noises. When the power goes out at night, all you want is to flip the light switch and see clearly again.

But darkness isn’t always scary. On a camping trip, it can be fun to sit around a campfire and watch the flames flicker. Far away from city lights, the night sky fills with stars. Sometimes, we see amazing things in the dark that we can’t see in the light.

Today’s verses from Acts tell us about Saul, who was in total darkness—not because of nightfall or a storm, but because he was blind. His blindness wasn’t from illness or injury—it came after Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. After the vision ended, Saul couldn’t see. He stayed blind for three days, until a disciple named Ananias, sent by God, helped him see again.

Can you imagine being blind for three days? We don’t know exactly what Saul was thinking, but the rest of Acts gives us clues. He was probably thinking about what he had done—hurting Christians and trying to stop the church from growing. He may have been replaying Jesus’ words: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” And maybe he wondered what Jesus meant when he said, “You will be told what you must do.”

What Saul was told—and what he did—fills much of the New Testament. You probably know him better as Paul, his Greek name. Paul became one of the greatest missionaries in the early church. He traveled from city to city, telling people—especially non-Jews—about Jesus. He also wrote many books in the New Testament. He began in spiritual darkness, but God brought him into the light of grace through the Holy Spirit.

You might not travel the world like Paul, but you can still share Jesus. You can tell your friends and family how God brought you into the light of his love. You can shine like a light in a dark world and help others see who Jesus is.

Closing Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for bringing me into the light of your grace. Let your light shine through me in my everyday life. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• What surprising thing happened to Saul when he saw a bright light on the road? (Hint: Someone special talked to him and something happened to his eyes!)
• What other name did Saul go by after he became a follower of Jesus?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• If you couldn’t see anything for three days, how would you feel? Why do you think Saul felt that way?
• What do you think it means to live without knowing Jesus? How is that like being in the dark?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Why do you think Ananias was scared to go help Saul? Would you be nervous too?
• Can you name some of the books in the Bible that Paul wrote? Try to list as many as you can! (Bonus idea: You could even turn this into a fun memory game or matching activity.)