Day 320: Acts 8:1 - 9:43

I've always considered Ananias to be such a strong example of what it means to faithfully serve God no matter what. There are two very big points that I can't help but notice about this part of the story. First of all, Ananias apparently had such a history of obedience to God that God went ahead and told Saul that he would be coming before he ever even told Ananias. God already knew that he would do it, and in my opinion, God had to have known that because it wasn't the first time He had asked Ananias to do something difficult. The second, much more obvious point is the fact that Ananias was so in love with God that he was willing to risk his life to go down and pray for a man who had been known as a Christian killer. I don't know how you would have responded to that, but I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I would've had a very difficult time not just because of the fact that I might die, but human nature would tend to think that someone who had so violently ended the lives of so many children didn't even deserve to live, much less be healed of blindness. Just think, as instrumental as Paul was in the beginning of the Christian church, it all may have never happened if Ananias hadn't been faithful to do what God asked him to do.

- Father, teach me to be as obedient as Ananias. I know there have been times when I've ignored Your commands because it was too difficult or "dangerous," but continue to remind me that only You can see the real effects of my obedience and You can take care of the rest if I will just be faithful. -