Acts 9-10

In acts 9 we see Saul's conversion. That's what it should take place in all our lives as God starts to work. The conversion just begins when we accept Christ. It's a process the living God puts into place and continues to adjust, tweak and make repairs and improvements that we are not capable of by human methods and techniques. It seems there are many formulas out there for success, but as we see with Saul only one thing could stop him in his tracks and change his heart sending him in a complete different area of service. He had all the right stuff. He was driven, dedicated and trained for the job. It just happened to be the wrong one. Can God take what was intended for evil and use it for good? What does it take on our behalf for that to take place? We must be stopped, turned around and redirected by our Lord. The scene went like this 9:4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
It was a direct command that He was given. He could have argued with Him, but He didn't. He could have said that a loving God certainly would not make me blind and denied God's way of working here, or He could have denied that the whole thing happened the way it did (because the others could not see the light from heaven). When God chooses a method of delivery many times we have the idea that we have a choice on how and where it should be sent. Ananias had the same choice to make as did Peter in chapter 10. We must understand the part prayer played in all of these events. God answered all of the men as He chose as they prayed. We see each of them getting up from that prayer and what they were about to do changed in a radical way to encounter the Lord as He is working. We are in a serious spiritual dilemma when our prayer life has no effect on what we do next. You can see who our Lord chose to include to involve in the father's business. Is He the same God today? Do his promises still hold true. How we believe God will have a tremendous effect on what He will include us in and how He chooses to involve us in what He is doing. That's where these men found inner peace and joy. They put their life on hold and followed Him. That's where the scriptures say we will find life. In Matthew 10:39 our Lord said: "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." The rewards always outweigh the cost. Obedience is not a choice it is the most crucial aspect of our worship. Pray and get up with a willing heart expecting the good things the Lord will do.