Acts 9:10-19 - Being obedient over our fears
Scripture:
Acts 9:10-19
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."
11 And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,
12 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."
13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem;
14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."
15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."
17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;
19 and he took food and was strengthened.
NASU
Thoughts:
Ananias (not to be confused with the deceased husband of the also deceased Sapphira in Acts 5) is obedient (verse 17), even in the face of his rational fears (verse 13-14). He trusts the Lord over his rationalizations, and as a result gets to be a part of one of God's greatest movements in history.
Not only does he see God miraculously work at his point of obedience (verse 18), the apostle Paul as Saul would become known, goes on to write most of the books of the New Testament and to take the gospel to much of the 1st century Roman world (verse 15).
As Christians, the victories in our lives are often on the other side of fear as we walk in faith. Sometimes those fears are rational and not just emotional, like Ananias' fears -- there was a real threat in revealing himself as a Christian to Saul (verse 14). If Ananias had chosen not to act, the Lord would still have healed Saul and sent him out in ministry, but Ananias wouldn't have gotten to be a part of it. In the same way, our fears can keep us from experiencing all the good things the Lord has for us.
Prayer:
Lord, let me be obedient to You, even over my rational fears. Grow my faith in You and my witness.
Amen
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