This week's service was about a hidden hero, Ananais. According to Acts 9:10, Ananias lived in the city of Damascus. In Paul's speech in Acts 22, he describes Ananias as "a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews" that dwelt in Damascus (Acts 22:12).
During his
conversion experience, Jesus had told Paul, (who was then called Saul,) to go
into the city and wait. Jesus later spoke to Ananias in a vision, and told him
to go to the “street which is called Straight” and ask "in the house of Judas for one
called Saul, of Tarsus". (Acts 9:11) Ananias objected that Saul had been
persecuting "thy saints", but the Lord told him that Saul was "a
chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel". (Acts 9:15). When Ananias went in to Saul and laid
his hands on him, the "scales" of dead tissue on the surface of his
eyes fell off, and he looked up at Ananias. After additional instruction, Saul
was baptized. (Acts 9:18;22:16)
This story teaches us a very important lesson. If we seek God and yield to him, as Ananias did, we can do great things for the Lord. We may never find out in this life what they are. Our part is to serve God faithfully, not to wonder where the spotlight is focused.
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