Simplicity in Obedience

One of my favourite characters in the Bible is a guy called Ananias. We find him in Acts 9, seemingly minding his own business in Damascus, when suddenly, God appeared to Him in a vision. It turns out that God wants him to go to a house on Straight Street (I love the detail!), and ask for a man named Saul who has seen Ananias come to him in a vision and pray to restore his sight.

Sounds simple enough!

Except, Saul is one of the main instigators of the mass persecution that the early church is facing in this time! Quite rightly, Ananias points this out to God. "Do you realise who this is?!?" God, of course, is aware and this time is a bit firmer, "Go! This is the man I've chosen to go to the Gentiles."

Ok, it seems God has thought this one through.

So Ananias goes to the house and indeed finds Saul blind (after his previous experience on the road to Damascus). He lays his hands on him and prays that God would restore Saul's sight and would fill him with the Holy Spirit. At once, his sight is restored and he was baptised (a public sign of repentance) and ate food for the first time in 3 days.

The rest, as they say, is history as Saul/Paul goes throughout the surrounding area carrying the message of Jesus to many tribes and Nations, while suffering for His name. Indeed, the majority of the New Testament is written by this man.

But at the start of all this we see Ananias.

He is only mentioned in 8 verses. We don't know anything about his life, his occupation, family, history, future. All we know is that when God said 'Go', he went. But let's not underestimate where God said for him to go to. He asked him to go to the person that we are told was muttering threats under every breath, who was going from house to house dragging people away in chains. Ananias was potentially putting his own life at risk. What is obvious is that he had a deep understanding of God and trusted him. He knew the Lord's voice when He spoke and trusted enough to obey. I can't imagine what was going through his mind as he approached the house. Did I hear right? What if he's not there? What if he is there!?!? Ultimately, God was right and what He said was fulfilled. Ananias then probably returned home and got on with his life.

The reason I like Ananias so much is that he was so unassuming and is not really talked about much in comparison with a Simon Peter or a Martin Luther, but yet he had one of the most important roles to play in church history.

Did he even know what Saul went on to do?

It makes me think about my own life and the way I respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting. There have been times where I've felt God say to go and talk to someone and I haven't through fear. Fear of being wrong and looking silly.

'It can't be God because that makes no sense!'

Chances are that it is more likely to be God if it doesn't make sense! Who knows what a simple act of obedience can do. A smile, a prayer, a hug, a letter of encouragement, a cheque in the post. These could all be the key that unlocks someones heart and releases them into something new with their Saviour.

We have had a couple of examples recently in our community, where people have felt the Holy Spirit prompt them to do something and it ended up being an answer to someone else's prayer. Below is a story that some of our Transit students Rebekah, Frances, Louise and Chris wrote about after a recent trip to the West of England:

"It was Tuesday morning, and we had left later than intended, which usually happens when embarking on a road trip. We were heading West with our only plan being to see what the Lord wanted us to do when we arrived.

Our first stop was to get petrol and pastries. The second was to look over the valley and pray. We had a couple of thoughts after this, take the white roads and seek out the "old paths."

Frances took the map and the responsibility to find the most obscure route to Tewkesbury. We left the motorway at a little village called Maisemore and began our search. Our first turn off was down "Old Road" which led us to St. Giles Church. We got out to explore a bit. As we were wandering around, Jackie arrived to pray. We shared a bit of what we were doing and asked to join her. After a short Lenten liturgy we were invited back to her house for tea and cake.

As we enjoyed her hospitality Jackie told us a bit of her story and how the Lord had led her and her husband to Maisemore and to the little parish church with ever dwindling numbers. To be honest her dedication, faithfulness, and sacrifice were inspiring.

We asked to pray for her before we left.

She was thrilled at the suggestion and it became a time of mutual blessings as she began to explain a bit more of what has been happening in the local parish and of the hopes and frustrations that she and a few others have been experiencing.

Three of the nearby parishes will be merging in the near future, due to a decrease in numbers as well as difficulties remaining from the flooding last year. Jackie, her husband and two other couples have been meeting together for the past few years, praying for the area and the church, and Jackie explained that they were all at a place of discouragement. In fact, only recently had she cried out to God asking for something to show that He was hearing their prayers and they weren't just wasting their time and effort.

Having us arrive when we did came as a great gift to her, and so we spent some time praying for her, the other couples, the parish, and were able to give some further words of encouragement for them all.

It was also a wonderful blessing and faith builder to us as we were able to see how God had engineered the entire situation. Many of us had been nervous upon leaving Guildford, not really knowing what to expect or what would be required of us, but seeing how graciously and gently God had directed us and how simple it all became when we were just willing to trust His Spirit was a wonderful encouragement for us as well."

Let's be people who are open to the Spirit's promptings. Who live lives of simple obedience, bringing glimpses of the Kingdom as we do. Who knows what or who will change as a result!