Ananias received divine direction from the Lord to go to a man named Saul and lay hands upon him so his sight could be restored. This was not an easy assignment because Saul had persecuted the church and had a bad reputation. The Lord told Ananias that Saul has been praying and would be His instrument to reach the Gentiles with His message.
Ananias clearly heard from the Lord what to do, but he also had free will. What would he do? Acts 9:17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. [1]
The Apostle Paul who we know as Saul in our story writes in Romans 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” [2] God did not make us robots and gives us an opportunity to follow His will or to go our own way. To be led by the Spirit is to submit to God. To be led by the Spirit is to put God plans before our plans. To be led by the Spirit opens doorways only God could open. To be led by the Spirit is a gift from God.
By being obedient to God’s divine direction, Ananias takes a step of faith and follows what the Lord told him. Saul, who we know as the Apostle Paul, would become the world’s greatest missionary and Ananias would play a role in his transformation.
To be led by the Holy Spirit, we must trust God and wait on Him to lead and guide us. The world tells us to make our own plans and follow our dreams, but true riches come when we follow God’s plans and His dreams. Proverbs 16:9We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.[3]
Are you tired of following the world’s GPS? Is the Lord calling you to be led by the Holy Spirit? Take the hand of the good shepherd to fulfill your amazing destiny.
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[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 9:17–19). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.