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A Chosen Instrument
Andrea Lende • July 7, 2020
Acts 9:13 and 15
A Chosen Instrument
You may also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/A-Chosen-Instrument-egennk
Daily Word:
Acts 9:13 and 15
“But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard many people tell about this man, especially how much evil and what great suffering he has brought on Your saints at Jerusalem;”
“But the Lord said to him, Go for this man is a chosen instrument of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles and Kings and the descendants of Israel;”
Have you ever answered, But Lord?
Has God ever asked you to do something that you didn’t want to do?
You really, really didn’t want to do it.
Well, before Paul became a soldier for Christ, he was out persecuting Christians.
I am always amazed at this story.
The Lord had to blind him to get his attention.
He didn’t eat or drink for three days.
Some of God’s saints were asked to intervene.
Ananias was a disciple in Damascus that God was going to use to change Saul into a disciple.
However, Ananias didn’t want to go.
He was afraid.
He knew that Saul had been responsible for persecuting many Christians, putting them in jail, and worse.
I’m sure Ananias wouldn’t want to go to jail.
He wouldn’t want to be in chains.
And he didn’t trust that Saul was going to be transformed.
However, the Lord wanted to use this man.
He was going to fill him with His Holy Spirit.
He wanted Saul to be His missionary for the Gentiles – us.
Ananias had to get beyond his fears of being wrongly accused and jailed so that he could carry out God’s mission.
I am sure it was difficult for him to go to the house that Saul was staying in, lay hands on him, heal him, and be the caveat that would grant him the gift of the Holy Spirit.
After all, Saul didn’t deserve it.
He didn’t deserve the grace that was being offered.
He didn’t deserve the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
As Ananias was obedient to God, the rest of the world would change.
We would be entitled to be grafted into the fold.
We would be given the gift of grace, forgiveness, and wholeness in God’s sight.
One small, yet courageous act, by Ananias would change the world of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Today I choose to be obedient to the Lord’s calling and pray for the strength to carry out His plan.
May you find encouragement in being obedient to God and the lasting affects that your action of obedience may have on all future generations.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for teaching me about obedience. Thank You for showing me that obedience to You, even when uncomfortable, can have a lasting effect on all future generations. Thank You for showing me that You will protect me as I am obedient to You. Strengthen me and grant me courage so that I am able to carry out Your will for my life. Help me do ask You ask without wavering, Lord. Help me care for others so deeply that I lose my own self-interest. May You light the path and guide me, Lord. Guide me past my own desires and lead me to You. May Your will be done, always. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM preparing you for My use, My child.
Response: Help me be obedient to You in every way, Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.