What do we do now? We are getting viewpoints from many directions. It is no wonder to me that God chose Paul to deliver this scripture to us.
Paul was a Pharisee. He was deep into the law of Moses. Everyone else should be like-minded. He had zero tolerance for those who chose to believe in the one who came to town, proclaiming to be the Messiah. The One, that Isaiah had prophesied was here? But this lowly carpenter could not be that One. He was an imposter! No way! Saul was a very religious man. So, with his mind blinded temporarily to the truth, he began persecuting Christians. He had blood on his hands. He aided and abetted the murder of many Christians. It was “my way or the highway.”
Sill breathing threats and murder, he began a journey down a dirt road, to a place called Damascus. Jesus stepped into the shadows of Paul’s mind and spoke to him out loud. He got his undivided attention. His moment of discipline and testing was a three-day journey completely blind. He was so distraut he could neither eat or drink. He was led to a house with a man he could not see. He was taking instruction from someone who, just a day earlier, he would have thrown in prison, or worse.
Ananias. He was a follower of Christ. He also heard the voice of His Lord. He was to reach out to Saul. Lay hands on him. Lay hands on Saul!!! But Lord, he might kill me!! He is one bad dude! He is not like us! He will kill me! I am injecting my own thoughts here, but I imagine that there was some anxiety as Ananias approached this man who had left terror in the hearts of believers, everywhere he went.
~Thought For Today~
We are the Ananias’ of our day. We are commanded to love. To reach out. Not just to those who think or believe like us. That is easy to do. Ananias and Saul believed totally different things about Jesus. Jesus loved both of them.
We can enter the church building every time the doors open. We can help feed, teach and minister to the poor. We can hang crosses from our rearview mirrors and on our houses. We can move mountains with our prayers and we can quote scriptures until Jesus comes back. But if there is no love…it is nothing to our God. Means nothing. That is sobering.
I was a sinner in a lost world when Jesus reached through “others” and touched my heart. Had those “others” not taken the love command seriously and approached me with the love, joy and forgiveness of Christ, I would not be writing this tonight. I might have a completely different story to tell.
We are the “others” of our time. We stand on the word of God. Sin is sin. No one is without it. No not one. But, how will they know if we don’t tell them. It is a matter for the heart. Are we on our own Damascus Road? Jesus called Paul to be the vessel that would carry the gospel to the Gentiles, kings and children of Israel. We live in a lost world. It is time to serve our Savior, when it is difficult. We are the disciples of our day. Vile things are going on in the world today as they were then. But the love of Jesus has brought His word through the ages to this moment. It spread from one believer to the conversion of another and that one told another…and here we are. Time to get to the heart of the matter. Love the world to Jesus and then God will take it from there.
Jesus is coming soon. Let Him find us serving in faith, love and mercy.
~Scripture For Today~
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. (NASB)
Romans 10:14-15
14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (NASB)
~Prayer For Today~
Hello Father! We pray for the love that can change lives. A love that can look through sin and into the heart that needs Jesus. That can turn the world upside down. A love like Jesus has for us, in all our sin. We pray for wisdom and light. We pray for souls to come to know Jesus. We pray for direction on what part we are to serve. We pray that we get to the heart of the matter. Help us fan the flames of Christ everywhere we go. Be messengers of Your love. Forgive us of our sins. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
©2015 Kathy Ledbetter. All Rights Reserved.