Saul’s immediate obedience to the word of Jesus Christ when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-8) was remarkable given Saul’s intense opposition to Jesus and His followers prior to this encounter. Sometimes God has to “put us on the ground” in order to get our attention and realize how helpless we truly are apart from Him. That was Saul’s situation – this strong, always in-command zealot was now blind and needing to be led by the hand into the city of Damascus. Jesus instructed him to enter the city where it would be told him what he must do (v. 6). Once there, verse 9 says: And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. In other words, three days passed after his arrival without any further instructions as promised by Jesus, and still no sight. I imagine I would have been entertaining doubts by this time; not sure I would have continued fasting either!
But God was preparing another man to practice difficult obedience. Verses 10-12 tell us that the Lord appeared in a vision to a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and commanded him to go to a certain address in the city to ask for Saul of Tarsus. The task: Ananias was to lay his hands on (Saul) so that he might regain his sight (v. 12). Ananias knew about Saul’s persecution of the believers as evidenced in his prayer (vv. 13-14); but apparently he didn’t think that God knew, so he tried to give God information on Saul’s activities! I suspect we all do and say some rather silly things – even to God – when we are fearful. The Lord didn’t wait for the full lesson, but interrupted Ananias with the simple command (vv. 15-16):
Go, for he (Saul) is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.
Ananias knew the full extent of Saul’s incredible ministry before anyone else, including Saul! And Ananias allowed the Lord to overrule his very legitimate fear, and practiced the difficult obedience of confronting the man who could have imprisoned and sentenced him to death, addressing him as “brother,” and speaking to him of Jesus whereby Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit, regained his sight, and was baptized! What might the Lord accomplish through us if we were to obey Him over our fears?