While I can go through and give the names of a long list of people mentioned in the Bible and get a “yep, I know all about that person” from most churchgoers, I want to mention a name that would cause many to at best give me an I-don’t-know shrug or produce a haphazard guess. In this post, I am referring to a person named Ananias. (Are you a shrugger or a guesser?)
Let me help you. For some, immediately you might think about the Ananias who along with his wife Sapphira mentioned in Acts 5 had an encounter with God that no one would want to have. That’s not the Ananias that I am referring to. If you will turn a few more pages in the Book of Acts to chapter 9, Luke writes about another Ananias. Here is what the Bible tells about the man who I could call A9A (Acts 9 Ananias).
“And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias…”
Acts 9:10
Really, is that it? Thankfully, there we do learn a little bit more about Ananias a few chapters later.
“And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good
report of all the Jews which dwelt there….”
Acts 22:12
If you are planning on writing a biography about this man, these two verses are all that you will have to base your writing on. Good luck with writing a multi-book series about A9A.
Surely, there isn’t anything here in these two verses for the Holy Spirit to use to speak to us today. And, yet, there is.
- Ananias was a SOMEBODY. This isn’t some fictionalized person. It’s not like the preacher’s young son who tugged on his mother’s skirt and whispered, “Momma, is daddy preaching or is he telling the truth?” God used SOMEBODY.
- Ananias was a NOBODY. Man, that sounds harsh. Let me soften it up a bit. Ananias wasn’t of any notoriety. Does that sound better? Ananias was just a good old boy that did the good things and didn’t get into trouble. He had no position of leadership in the church or title. He was just Ananias.
- Ananias wasn’t just ANYBODY. Listen, if you will read about Ananias’ assignment to reach out to one of the most dangerous men in the whole world, not just anybody would even attempt to begin much less complete the assignment. In the face of horrendous, frightening. imminent consequences, Ananias did what few if anybody would do. Ananias boldly obeyed God.
- Ananias changed the lives of EVERYBODY. The very fact that you are reading this post is due to a person who chose to work together with the Holy Spirit.
Here we are some 2000 years later and God is still in the assignment-giving business. While you (the SOMEBODY) might consider yourself to be insignificant (a NOBODY), know that God’s plan isn’t freely entrusted to the masses (just to ANYBODY) and is dependent upon you to hear, acknowledge, and obey to touch the life of an individual like Saul or the masses like previous, present, and future generations (impacting EVERYBODY). That’s the importance of you.
Yep, I am somebody!
Short, but POWERFUL! Thank you, Billy!
Eileen, are you describing me or the blog post?
😂😂😂
Ananias was definitely a prophet and had a close relationship with the Lord. The text leads to note that Ananias was comfortable talking with Jesus. That’s why the Nobody became Somebody and touched via Paul Everybody. 😀