Day 31: Acts 9:15-16

“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”



Imagine being poor Ananias. Maybe you have been in a situation similar to his. God was asking Ananias to go and talk to a guy who before his conversion would have taken one look at Ananias and hauled him off in chains to be executed because of his faith.


Ananias must have been seriously questioning God’s sense at that point. I would have been. It just goes to show that we wouldn’t act differently even when God just comes out and speaks directly to us.


But don’t miss the point. God had everything well in hand. Ananias didn’t know it, or except it, but God was brining a big puzzle together that was a long time in the making. If Ananias had remembered who God was, instead of worrying about his own skin, he may have reacted differently.


We point a finger at Ananias, but we’re probably the same way. Has God ever called you to something that you thought was ridiculous? Has He told you to talk with that really mean or aggressive person at school about Jesus, or maybe called you to work in a place that you would consider dangerous or at the very least unglamorous?


Remember, that even though it might seem crazy, God knows what He is doing. You may be the first in, or you may be the last piece of the puzzle. It’s really not for us to know, but it is for us to obey.


What would have happened if Ananias had blown God off that day? What would have happened to Paul. He’d had met Jesus, yes, but through Ananias Paul’s sight was restored and he was baptized. Incredible.


CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God gives us divine appointments that we don’t always understand. Obey. Let God work out the details, no matter how dangerous.


Here’s a set of Verses to meditate on today: Jonah 4


Prayer: Father, help me to obey without worrying about what it will cost me. You gave Your Son to die for me. Thank you for working out everything before You even call me. In Christ’s name, amen.