He is minding his own business, enjoying the normal, daily fellowship with other believers living in the city. Then word arrives that the chief persecutor of the church is on his way from Jerusalem. The fledgling congregation in Damascus knows about Saul and his threatening purpose. Then Ananias hears from God – a message that is hard to believe and harder to obey. Walk with Ananias on this stunning mission.
About this Message
This short story, tucked into Acts 9, is centered on Saul’s conversion, but we also meet an ordinary man named Ananias. We never hear of him again, except in Paul’s retelling of his own conversion. Be sure to read Acts 9:1 to understand the power of Saul and the great courage required to confront him in the following verses.
There are other great examples of personal courage in the Bible. Read of the transformation of Gideon in Judges 6-7 – Cowardice to Courage. Or contemplate the story of Jonathan and his armor-bearer from I Samuel 14 – two men taking on an entire Philistine raiding party. Or carefully watch the fear/courage schooling given the disciples in Mark 4:35-41 on the Sea of Galilee. There is much to learn from Queen Esther as well (Esther 4-5).
Maybe the classic example of how to NOT handle fear is the life of King Saul. His decisions represent a powerful lesson in self-sufficiency.Read I Samuel 13 and 15.
Go Deeper Questions
We all understand fear and the control it can have over us. What can you learn from Ananias about facing fear?
Do you think that fear is sin? Can you defend that answer?
What if fear just “is” and our response to fear is what God cares about? What are some possible responses to fear? Which ones might God endorse?
What would you say is the opposite of godly courage?