"To hear the voice of God"

Today’s reading: Acts 9:9-11 9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered.

11The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

13"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

15But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

Singer, songwriter Wayne Watson sings a song that contains these lyrics - “For such a time as this, I was placed upon the earth, to hear the voice of God, to do his will, whatever it is,…” I fell in love with this song about 1997 and for me it became my mission statement, to use a catch phrase from the business world. I played that song over and over, listening with an intent heart and soul. If you aren’t familiar with it, take a few moments and listen to it from this link Wayne Watson - For Such A Time As This or Google the title.

The spoken word of God came to Ananias – pure, divine, and clear. Even as Ananias questioned the Lord, Ananias still heard the voice of God declaring that this horrible man Saul is to be healed to become a follower of Jesus Christ and God’s chosen one to lead.

The very first mission trip that I went on to Mexico was not by my choice. I had said no many times, then 7 days before a departure to build a church, someone became ill and I was asked if I could go. I had no passport, no building skills, feared flying and worked fulltime, so I knew I could not go. For some reason, I asked at work if I could get off, and everyone was fine with it, I was assured a passport at that time was not necessary for we were within a certain radius of the border. Nothing stood in my way, so I said yes.

God intended for me to serve Him and made every obstacle able to be overcome. Jesus’ divine message toward the cold, heinous hearted man named Saul struck him blind for three days. You see, God can change whatever and whomever He chooses. He sent me, he sent Ananias and He chose Saul. “For such a time as this, I was placed upon the earth, to hear the voice of God to do His will!”

Each of us is here for God’s purpose and nothing else. Follow where He takes you because it is in His will, whatever it is.

Dorothy Brucks
Aldersgate Church
Nixa, Mo.
www.aldersgatechurch.com