Simplicity in Obedience By Dan JonesDaniel Jones - 25 Mar 2008

One of my favourite characters in the Bible is a guy called Ananias. We find him in Acts 9, seemingly minding his own business in Damascus, when suddenly; God appeared to Him in a vision.

It turns out that God wants him to go to a house on Straight Street (I love the detail!), and ask for a man named Saul who has seen Ananias come to him in a vision and pray to restore his sight.

Sounds simple enough!

Except, Saul is one of the main instigators of the mass persecution that the early church is facing in this time!

Quite rightly, Ananias points this out to God. "Do you realise who this is?" God, of course, is aware and this time is a bit firmer, "Go! This is the man I've chosen to go to the Gentiles."  Ok, it seems God has thought this one through.   So Ananias goes to the house and indeed finds Saul blind (after his previous experience on the road to Damascus). He lays his hands on him and prays that God would restore Saul's sight and would fill him with the Holy Spirit. At once, his sight is restored and he was baptised (a public sign of repentance) and ate food for the first time in 3 days.   The rest, as they say, is history as Saul/Paul goes throughout the surrounding area carrying the message of Jesus to many tribes and Nations, while suffering for His name.  Indeed, the majority of the New Testament is written by this man.

But at the start of all this we see Ananias.

He is only mentioned in 8 verses. We don't know anything about his life, his occupation, family, history, and future. All we know is that when God said 'Go', he went. But let's not underestimate where God said for him to go to. He asked him to go to the person that we are told was muttering threats under every breath, who was going from house to house dragging people away in chains. Ananias was potentially putting his own life at risk.

What is obvious is that he had a deep understanding of God and trusted him. He knew the Lord's voice when He spoke and trusted enough to obey. I can't imagine what was going through his mind as he approached the house. “Did I hear right? What if he's not there? What if he is there!?” Ultimately, God was right and what He said was fulfilled. Ananias then probably returned home and got on with his life.

The reason I like Ananias so much is that he was so unassuming and is not really talked about much in comparison with a Simon Peter or a Martin Luther, but yet he had one of the most important roles to play in church history.   Did he even know what Saul went on to do?

It makes me think about my own life and the way I respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting. There have been times where I've felt God say to go and talk to someone and I haven't through fear. Fear of being wrong and looking silly.   'It can't be God because that makes no sense!'   Chances are that it is more likely to be God if it doesn't make sense! Who knows what a simple act of obedience can do. A smile, a prayer, a hug, a letter of encouragement, a cheque in the post. These could all be the key that unlocks someone’s heart and releases them into something new with their Saviour.