And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.”(Acts 9:8).
There is a place of obedience for all of us. For Paul, it took being struck blind on the Damascus Road. God literally knocked him off his horse with a blinding light. A voice from heaven asked him why he was persecuting Him (Jesus). When he arose, he could not see. Jesus told him to go to Damascus and meet a man named Ananias. There, Jesus restored Paul’s sight through Ananias.
Each of us has a place of obedience. For some, it requires only a nudge of pressure to gently lead us toward God. For others of us, a lightning bolt is necessary to get our undivided attention. Many who are hard-hearted rebel against the living God. Yet, God’s love for these individuals is so great that he takes extreme measures to gain their attention…and their heart. When you come in contact with a person like this, do not fear their arrogance. Instead, see them as God sees them – a person who needs the Saviour and could be a powerful force in the kingdom if God saved them. It is a sign to begin praying for that individual.
We’ve all heard the saying “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” In many cases this is true. God has called many hard cases into his kingdom through miraculous circumstances in order to save their life from the pit of hell and transform it into a sweet-smelling fragrance. Do not let the hard exterior fool you. These are needy people that are crying out for help in their own prideful way.
Whenever God begins this process in the life of a sinner, he has others standing by to assist. Ananias was the person in Paul’s life. He found it unbelievable that Paul could have really been saved. An angel had to convince him. Has God placed such an individual in your path? Perhaps God desires to use you to be an “Ananias” in the life of one of his wayward children. It requires a willingness to come alongside that one who needs your help. Who knows, that person could be the next Apostle Paul.
Where is your help today through the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you met the man Saul now Paul the Apostle? There are so many Apostles that have not written a letter to their church, or they simply can’t do it. We need a connection with Jesus and that will bring us to the place of obedience which will change our lives forever. Then only can we say that Jesus Christ is Lord?
