Acts 9:10-16 :

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.”

The Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying, and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.”

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem. Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

Ananias was, evidently, ready to hear from the Lord because when He called him, he immediately answered, “it’s me , Lord.” That’s what it is like to have a personal relationship with God.

God told Ananias to go to a dangerous enemy and when Ananias raised his concerns about this, God was patient and explained that He had the situation under control. This is the way God is with us. He is patient and deals with our doubts and fears. It is interesting what God said about Saul’s change. He didn’t say: “You can go to Saul now because he chose to follow me.” Instead He says that “he is my chosen vessel.” The difference is that God did the choosing. We may think that we have changed our own ways, but it is God who actually gets us to turn from sin and believe in Him. From our perspective, it was our doing, but from God’s perspective, it was His choice and God’s perspective is the most important one.

We find out here that Saul wasn’t going to have it easy because “he must suffer” many things for God in the future. That is what fills much of the rest of this book of Acts. It is pretty clear from this passage that being a servant of God isn’t easy. We may have to face an enemy or even suffer for God, but it is also obvious as we read along that God gives all of the power and the peace we need to do it.