Calming the Fears

Sometimes we are called to go where we are afraid to go.

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." - Acts 8:13-16

In today's reading, God chooses to send a disciple, Ananias, to restore Saul's sight and bring him to Christ.

It is not what Ananias was envisioning for himself, to be sent to the man who had persecuted followers, but he does go, trusting God.

I am sure there have been many times when I felt there was something I should do, but after weighing the pros and cons, talked myself out of it,  Could any of those have been God calling me?

I will probably never know.

I would like to think God would not call me to do something that would put me in harm's way, and yet that is exactly how it looked to Ananias.  So, I guess the message here is to do what Ananias did and question God when the call doesn't sound right.

He responded to God in his vision, and we can do the same in our prayers.  Is this truly what you want me to do?  Can you calm my fears and show me how?

But I am sure many of us will look to play it safe, doubting the call is real, and letting it pass us by.  If we do, perhaps it will fall on another, and what God needs done will get done.

But there will come a time, I believe, when the call to action is urgent and cannot be ignored.  Then, I will need to be ready and sure.

That is what we need to pray for, the strength to say Yes when we know we cannot say No.

It is then that we will rush headlong into the fray, fears and all, knowing God will help us.

More to come...