Could the Lord call on you?

“The Lord called to him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he answered.” Acts 9:10 NIV

Why did God use Ananias to lead Saul of Tarsus to Christ? Because he was the right man, in the right place, at the right time, with the right message and the right attitude. “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…Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul’” (vv. 10-11, 17 NIV). So here is the question: if God needed you to do something for Him, would you be ready? Would you be willing? This was not an easy assignment because Saul was notorious for imprisoning Christians and putting them to death. But when God told Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles” (v. 15 NIV), he trusted God and went. Note the words “placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul.’” Ananias had every right to fear Saul and even resent him. Yet he called him “brother.” Ananias acknowledged an old foe as now being part of God’s redeemed family. And you must learn to do that too. When God calls someone His child, you must love them, accept them, and treat them as your brother or sister in Christ. So let’s go back to the question: if God needed you to do something for Him today, would you be ready? You can be. And you need to be.

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024