Before transferring a caller to her boss, a secretary will often ask, “May I ask, who’s calling?” The importance of a message is often determined not only by the content of the message, but the communicator of that message. In Acts chapter nine and verse four, Saul, the persecutor of Christians from Tarsus, hears a voice as he travels to Damascus. The message was clear: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Saul is pretty sure he knows this voice, but he asks anyway: “Who art thou, Lord?” “And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

Saul had seen God work in too many lives to turn a deaf ear to this voice! This was God Himself calling, and he knew it was time to respond. I wonder if we understand that when we hear the Word of God preached, and we sense the Spirit of God tugging at our heart, that this is God calling? We sometimes simply dismiss God’s message to us as perhaps a good sermon or interesting experience, but do not ponder the seriousness of listening to the voice of Almighty God!

In 1960, a young and relatively unknown coach by the name of Vince Lombardi had led the Green Bay Packers to victory after victory in a phenomenal turn-around season that thrust them all the way to the championship game in Philadelphia. With just over a minute left on the clock, Bart Starr led the Packers on a game ending drive toward the end-zone. The famous “Packer Sweep” was working to perfection as Jim Taylor and Paul Hourning alternated carrying the ball. That drive, however, fell a few yards short as time expired and the Packers lost. It was two weeks later when Lombardi could muster the strength to address the team. He was so proud of them and in a letter told each player that because of their will to win and the devastating experience of that game, they would never lose another championship game. Read more »