eyes opened once more

Good morning and happy Saturday,
Yesterday we read about Saul's vision of Christ on the road to Damascus and how he stayed in that city blinded (by the light, as it were) for three days. Today God sends a Christian named Ananias to heal Saul and welcome him into the church. Not surprisingly, Ananias has some misgivings about this plan given Saul's history, but he trusts God's leading and jumps right in.

Saul's transformation from persecutor to powerful voice for Christ is immediate. With Ananias's touch he receives his sight and the Holy Spirit and gets right to work "proving that Jesus is the Messiah." God's words to Ananias hold an ominous word about Saul's future as well, but that promise of suffering doesn't seem to deter Saul in his later ministry. What does the Spirit need to transform in you to make you a more effective instrument of God's grace?

Blessings,
Sam

Acts 9:10-22

10Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” 15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

17So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.