Making a Minister

“And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness… unto whom now I send thee… to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me” (Acts 26:15-18).

A minister that Christ will send

Is made by Him before he goes.

The hand of  God will apprehend

And mold that one whom He foreknows.

And Saul was surely one selected

That no one ever could have guessed

Would be a servant thus perfected

By God, that sinners might be blessed.

“But rise, and stand upon thy feet,”

He heard our risen Lord command.

There was a purpose to complete

That God in him before had planned.

The Lord would do such mighty things

Through Saul of Tarsus (later Paul),

As he would testify to kings

And other people, great and small.

The lost would open then their eyes;

They’d turn from darkness to the light,

They’d turn to God from Satan’s lies,

And find forgiveness in God’s sight.

And Paul would show those who believed

That they were freely justified

With an inheritance received,

By which they had been sanctified.

O Lord, we see in Paul portrayed

Your mercies that we clearly trace,

Which show how ministers are made;

So mold us likewise by Your grace!