And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying . . . But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem." (Acts 9:11-13, ESV)

Saul, the fierce persecutor of the early church, was on a mission. He was on his way to Damascus to hunt down more Christians, but his plans went awry as he traveled toward that city. Suddenly a bright light and a Voice stopped him there on the road. When Saul asked, "Lord, what do You want me to do," he was instructed to go into the city and wait for a visit. Someone who would tell him what to do. It's a familiar story to most of us.

GOD'S MESSENGER

The man God chose to reach out to Saul was Ananias, a disciple in the Damascus church. But who was this man? From the few details we find in Acts, Ananias was an ordinary man tapped by God to fulfill an unusual mission.

Except for a brief description by Paul in Acts 22:12, we know very little about Ananias (not to be confused with two other men by this name mentioned in Acts). Paul describes Ananias as "a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there." He was an ordinary man in the Damascus church that was sent by God to fulfill an extraordinary mission. He was to meet the man terrorizing the believers.

Was Ananias fearful? Probably. His response to the Lord in verse 13 lets us know he was very aware of Saul's reputation and his determination to imprison or kill as many followers of Jesus as he could find.

"Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem."

Saul had shown himself to be a very determined and dangerous man. Seeking him out could be risky. If we were to face a similar situation, we would probably also feel apprehensive. But whatever his fears may have been, Ananias chose obedience over fear. Perhaps he reassured himself with the words of Psalm 118:6 as he set out to find Saul.

"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (ESV)

FAITH OVER FEAR

What if Ananias had allowed fear to keep him from fulfilling God's assignment? But Ananias did obey the Lord, and an amazing transformation took place in the life of the man we now know as the apostle Paul. The persecutor became the preacher. Never underestimate the impact of our obedience in following God's plan.

Someone once described Christian boldness as "acting on an urgent conviction." Sometimes the things God asks us to do feel scary. We may want to say, "Who? Me Lord?" We may not feel up to the task He asks us to do. We may not fill a prominent role within the church and feel like we are just an "ordinary Christian." But God sees us as someone He can use to carry out His purpose. All He asks from us is a willing obedience. Ananias chose faith over fear, and that should be our choice as well.

"Make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:21, NKJV)

Devotion by Mary Loudermilk