Walking With Christ

⚓ Floatie:  Chosen Instrument

Acts 9:10–19  (10)Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias.  The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”  And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”  (11)And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, (12)and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”  (13)But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.  (14)And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”  (15)But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.  (16)For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”  (17)So Ananias 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 so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  (18)And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight.  Then he rose and was baptized; (19)and taking food, he was strengthened.(ESV)

---

✒️ Forge:  God Chooses the Unlikely

Saul, the feared persecutor, was praying in blindness.  Ananias, the faithful disciple, was trembling in fear.  Yet God brought them together.

• The Lord often calls unlikely instruments:  Moses who said he was slow of speech (Exodus 4:10), Gideon hiding in fear (Judges 6:15), David the overlooked shepherd (1 Samuel 16:11).
• Here, the greatest enemy of the Church is called chosen instrument.  Grace does not polish the respectable—it transforms the hostile.

And Ananias is told the cost:  Saul must suffer much for the name.  The call to ministry is never privilege without pain.

---

⚒️ Anvil:  The Challenge of Obedience in Fear

Ananias had every reason to resist.  He knew Saul’s reputation.  But when God said go, Ananias went.  He even called him “Brother Saul.”

How often do we hesitate to obey because of fear—fear of rejection, fear of danger, fear of being used?  Faithful obedience often means walking toward those we’d rather avoid.  The challenge is not just to obey reluctantly, but to obey with love.

---

🔥 Ember:  A Word for Today

Notice that Saul’s healing came through human hands.  Jesus appeared to Saul, but He sent Ananias to finish the work.  God delights to use ordinary believers as vessels of extraordinary grace.  Who in your life might be waiting for you to lay a faithful hand on them?

---

🌿 Covenant Triumph:  Scales Fall, Sight Restored

When the scales fell, Saul saw not just with his eyes but with his heart.  Baptized, filled with the Spirit, strengthened—he was now ready for the mission God had set.  This is covenant triumph:  the persecutor welcomed as brother, the blind made to see, the chosen instrument set apart to carry Christ’s name to the nations.

---

[⚓ Floatie] [✒️ Forge] [⚒️ Anvil] [🔥 Ember] [🌿 Covenant Triumph]
This post follows the Forge Baseline Rule—layered truth for the discerning remnant.