Seeking Paul
If you are a follower of Jesus, you are more than likely familiar with the story of Paul’s conversion from Enemy of the Believers to Evangelist to the Gentiles. For reference I’ve shared the account of Paul’s conversion below.
Acts 9:1-19
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
Ananias
I’ve been continuing my quest of obedience. I’m actively striving to seek the Lord. I’ll be honest, I question myself frequently. I’m praying, reading the Bible, reading books by Christian authors, worshipping, and listening. As I have been continuing my search, I find that I am learning to do less not more. I’m learning to turn off various forms of media, and I’m learning to turn off the voices in my head that remind me of what can’t be done or what I should be doing. I’m learning that running around in circles trying to control everything accomplishes nothing. I’m learning to stop focusing on what I need to do, and I am learning to rest in the peace that comes from trusting that the God of the universe can easily care for me. At this time in my life, He has told me to seek Him, and He will take care of the rest. This brings me to Ananias.
This morning in church my pastor used Acts 9 as the foundation for his sermon. He was talking about Paul, but it was Ananias that caught my attention. While Paul is on his way to arrest the believers of the early church, Jesus blinds him and gives him instructions to go to Damascus. In the meantime, Ananias is going about life as normal and out of nowhere Jesus shows up in a vision and tells him to go and pray for Paul. How does Ananias respond? He tells God that he’s heard about this guy Paul, and word on the street is that Paul is trouble. Imagine telling Jesus the local gossip as if he doesn’t already know. I love Ananias so much for this because I do it all the time. Ananias wasn’t arguing with Jesus. He was just giving him the facts. Jesus then explains to Ananias that he has a plan for Paul to be his evangelist to the Gentiles so Ananias gets up and does exactly what Jesus has asked him to do. That is an incredible act of both faith and obedience.
Paul talks about his conversion in Acts 22. In that chapter, he describes Ananias as a devout observer of the law who was greatly respected by the Jews in the Damascus area. He was an ordinary man who was trying to do what God wanted him to do. Jesus knew Ananias was faithful and obedient. He knew that he could count on Ananias. We know this because Jesus told Paul that Ananias would be coming to pray for him before He ever told Ananias. There was never any doubt. Jesus trusted Ananias completely.
I want to be like Ananias. I want to be actively seeking opportunities to be used by the Lord for his purposes. I want Jesus to know that I will do what He asks me to do. Like Ananias, I may need to talk to Him about it for a minute, but ultimately Jesus knows I love him and trust him, and because of that, I will always be obedient.
Perhaps part of seeking Jesus is living in a state of readiness so I can hear him when he speaks, and I can follow him where he leads. If you think about it, Ananias played a huge role in my salvation. I don’t want to miss an opportunity the Lord may give me. You never know what may happen as a result of being available and obedient.
