Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

There was a point in my life when I was working at a Christian summer camp. A ton of fun things happened there – canoeing, zip-lines, rock climbing, and games. I got to see so many kids come to know Christ over those summers. It was an awesome experience. It’s what I went to school for, and it was a dream of mine to work in that type of setting. I only worked there for two years though. In the midst of what seemed like a dream job, I was so unsettled. I was being pulled back home. I didn’t know why, but there was such an uneasiness. I know now that it was God calling me to take my next step. The problem was that the next step involved a third person in our family. My wife was pregnant, about to have our firstborn, and I was being called to move home without a plan of what to do for money and knowing I wouldn’t get to work in that camp setting that I dreamed about for so many years. There was a lot of fear about life in those times and a lot of uncertainty of how things were going to turn out and how the future was going to look.

Starting in verse 10, we see God call Ananias to take a next step to go to see a man named Saul of Tarsus, a man well-known for killing Jews. God was calling Ananias to GO. I can only imagine the uncertainty and fear he was experiencing. He didn’t know how money was going to be provided, and he didn’t know if he was going to walk away from this meeting with his life. But God called him to go, and through him, Saul experienced God in a powerful way, became known as Paul, and became one of the greatest missionaries for Christ of all time. Without Ananias’s obedience, we might not ever know Paul. Without Ananias, we don’t have so much of the New Testament. Because of Ananias’s obedience to God and His plan, we get to see so much fruit. Often, God doesn’t reveal to us His entire plan, but the next step we need to take. I would imagine Ananias was not thinking of the impact Saul would make to future generations, but only the potential of being killed by the man God was calling him to go meet. He trusted in the plan God had so much that he was willing to take the next step God was calling him to, in spite of the potential consequences.

Isaiah 55:8 reminds us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts nor are His ways our ways, and I’m so glad we can take comfort in that.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Do you find yourself paralyzed from moving forward because you don’t know the whole plan?
• What step can you take today in order to trust God’s plan?

Family Application: Acts 9

Author: Nichole McCardle

In Acts 9, we learn about Saul. Saul was a Jewish man who was causing lots of trouble for Christians. He did not like Jesus’ followers, and he was in charge of arresting and even killing Christians. He did some pretty terrible things, but just like we learned in yesterday’s readings, God’s love is for EVERYONE, no matter how good OR bad! God loved Saul, and He wanted him to love Jesus.

One day, God sent a very bright light down from Heaven. The light was so bright that it blinded Saul! But then, Jesus spoke to Saul. Jesus said, “Saul, why are you hurting me? I am Jesus who you are hurting. Go to the city and you will be told what to do.” Saul was so afraid, but he did as Jesus instructed. In the city, God had spoken to a man named Ananias and told him to lay hands on Saul to heal his eyes. Ananias was afraid, because he knew of Saul and all of the terrible things that Saul had done to the Christians. But Ananias trusted God and went to Saul, put his hands on him, and Saul was healed. His eyes were opened to vision, but his eyes were also opened to the love of Jesus! Saul immediately changed his whole view of Jesus and began telling everyone about him!

Saul began as a man who hated Jesus and the people who loved Jesus. Even then, God’s love for Saul did not change. Saul realized this and later became one of the most influential people in the spread of the gospel of Jesus!

Saul thought he was a good man because he was religious, and he knew a lot about the Bible. But God showed him that he needed to change. We will all make mistakes, but even then, God does not give up on us. He did not give up on Saul, and He will not give up on you. When you know that you have done something wrong, pray and tell God that you are sorry. If you pray and ask God, He will forgive you and help you to change.

• Prayer: God, You are such a loving Father! Thank You for never giving up on us. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me when I make mistakes. Help me to follow You and Your ways. Amen.