ACTS 9:13-14

“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.”

TO PONDER

I remember sitting in church in my early teen years listening to a missionary family talking about the call of God to the mission field, to serving God far afield (Sri Lanka) and the issues associated with cross-cultural ministry, and thinking “Please God, don’t send me!” I used to tell people that God wouldn’t send me to somewhere I didn’t want to go, God, obviously, doesn’t work that way…

In today’s verses we read the response given by Ananias to God when he received the call to go do something he didn’t want to do. 

Eugene Peterson translates part of this passage in the Message this way, “Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious.” Obviously, Ananias agreed with me on this point, God would only call me to do something I wanted to do, definitely not something where I would be uncomfortable and especially not where my life would be under threat!

To save you from having to read the ending of this argument, God was serious, eternally serious. God indeed wanted him to go, Ananias did go, and the rest of this story continues today, in your life, and in my life.

The call of Ananias continues to echo throughout history in the life of every follower of Jesus, in every person who reads the words of Paul recorded in the Bible.The echo of the call is my call, its your call, it doesn’t only belong to Ananias or the Pastor but the call to "GO" is given to each of us in the words of Jesus to his disciples, given to us, “Go and make followers of all the nations.” Matthew 28:19 (NLT).

Imagine what would have happened if Ananias didn’t go, and what will happen if you don’t?

PRAYER: Almighty God, I pray today simply that your will be done in my life, whatever and where ever that is. Amen.

Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside