August 4th - Acts 9:17

Acts 9:17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said: “Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” I consider this to be one of the most moving sentences in the whole of the Bible. Ananias had been asked by God to go and meet Saul. He was fully aware of Saul’s reputation and was bound to think that there must be some mistake, but the Lord informed him that Saul had been appointed to take the gospel to the non-Jewish world. In obedience to the Lord, and with considerable courage, Ananias headed off to the house on Straight Street, placed his hands on Saul and called him brother. How amazing! The story of Saul’s conversion should be a warning to us all not to put a limit on what God can do. I invite you to think of people you know who are completely dismissive of Christian faith. Perhaps they laugh at you for your faith or think of it as just a lot of sentimental nonsense. It is very tempting to assume that it is a waste of time sharing our faith with them, and that we should focus our attention on the people who show some interest. I suggest that we need to pray for everyone we know – God loves everyone and invites them all to follow Him, however antagonistic they may be. Question Are you willing to share your Christian faith with people who are opposed to it? Prayer Dear Father, thank you that You are a God of miracles and want to welcome everyone to Yourself. Amen