Ananias

Imagine being called to do something you feel is way too dangerous for you.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. He answered, Here I am, Lord. The Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name. But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.  - Acts 9:10-17

Ananias knew of Saul.  He knew this was a man who persecuted those who followed the Way of Jesus. 

So, when God called Ananias to go to Saul to help him regain his sight and be restored to power, imagine what went through his mind.

No --- way!

To do what God asked, he had to trust God.  A lot!

I wonder.  Is this the main obstacle for many of us?  Do we have trouble trusting God?

For Ananias, the call came in a vision.  How does the call come to us?

Do we feel God pushing or pulling at us?  Is there something we just know we should do, but don't have the courage to do?

And if we choose not to go and do what God presents before us, what happens? 

I think God goes and finds someone else.

Ananias may not have been the first to be called to go to Saul, but we know of him because he was the one who did.

So it is with us. 

How many times have you turned down an opportunity only to find someone less qualified was then offered it and too it?

Someone will answer the call.  Why not us?

We need to truly believe that God is with us and will not lead us into danger.  He will guide us through whatever it is He wants us to do.

But He lets us decide.  We have a will to say yes or no.

Ananias said yes.

And that is pretty much all we know about him.  Except that he was not too eager at first to go.

More to come...