May 2 – Ananias – Acts 9:1-18
Ananias was used by God to put into action one of the greatest missionaries to ever live. We don’t know if Ananias was part of the Jerusalem church that was scattered through persecution, but we can observe a few things about him mentioned in this passage.
First, Ananias was sensitive and willing to the Lord’s calling. In verse 10 when the Lord called Ananias’ name, he immediately responded “Behold, I am here, Lord.” Not only was he listening intently for the Holy Spirit’s calling, but was ready to say, “I’ll do it, now what do you want me to do?”
Next, Ananias did not allow his great fear to stop communication with God. Sometimes when a Christian hears what God wants them to do, they will allow fear to stop them and even distance them from God. When we are fearful, that is the time to communicate with God even more.
The next thing we notice is the courage of Ananias. Everyone experiences fear. Some experience fear more intensely than others due to their circumstances, up-bringing, or even their nature. Ananias experienced intense fear, but exercised great courage. The more fear you have, the more courage you will need. Courage is acting in the face of fear. God has as much courage as you need, all you must do is ask and trust Him for it.
Lastly, Ananias showed the love of Christ to Saul. In Ananias’ eyes, Saul was a murderer and the arch enemy of Christians. Saul assisted in the stoning of Stephen and was responsible for much of the persecution in Jerusalem, and now came to Damascus to do the same thing. When Ananias put his hands on Saul to heal his blindness, he addressed him as “Brother Saul.” This could only be done through the power of God’s forgiveness and love.
