To See God…
So Anani′as departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, and took food and was strengthened. Acts 9:17-18
The story preceding this verse is where Saul, who was persecuting the church, rode into Damascus and was blinded by a bright light and the voice of Jesus, the One he was persecuting. He stayed in a house blind for three days before Ananias saw a vision from God asking him to visit Saul so he could see again, or start to truly see for the first time.
There are two things that strike me about this story:
1) Saul was a very religious, regular temple attender. He as like many of us who are very devout in our own religion. But he did not see spiritually. He had all the words, rituals, rites, and intellectual truths, but he still did not see spiritually. It took blindness to these things before he was able to receive the Holy Spirit at the hands of Ananias before he could truly see for the first time. We are so much the same today. We all have our religion be it Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, humanism, secularism, or animism, but we remain blind to the spiritual wonders of God within. We, like Paul, need the scales removed from our eyes.
2) It was the obedience of Ananias who went with fear and doubt to meet Saul because the Lord told him to, that led to the scales falling from Saul’s eyes. It was not the confession of Saul that led to this. In fact, according to the record, Saul said nothing before his sight was restored.
If it is my obedience to what the Lord tells me to do that leads to miracles or confession as opposed to the prayers or confession of those needing help, then I am accountable for many missed occasions of God’s working power... O the possibilities of prayer and obedience that have been missed by my omission. Forgive me Lord for not obediently listening to You.