Dare to Be an Ananias of Damascus

Daily Scripture Threshing for Today, Sunday, October 18, 2026

Today’s Text: Acts 9:10–19; 22:12–16

Key Verse: Acts 9:17 (KJV) — “And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”

On this glorious Sunday, as we gather to worship God in the congregation of His people, let us remember that the Lord we worship may send us to someone we would ordinarily avoid. Yesterday, we considered Barnabas, who stood beside Saul when the disciples in Jerusalem feared him; today, we meet the disciple who first approached him in Damascus. This was not Ananias of Jerusalem, who conspired with his wife Sapphira to keep back part of the proceeds of their property while pretending to surrender the whole. Their sin was not that they retained something they had the right to retain, but that they attempted to dress deception in the garments of devotion. Our subject today is a different and distinguished brother: Ananias of Damascus, a disciple who answered the Lord’s call and carried a welcoming touch to a man whose reputation inspired terror. One Ananias warns us against pretending before God; the other challenges us to obey God when obedience frightens us. Dare to be an Ananias of Damascus: a believer whose life makes room for God to work beyond the boundaries of personal comfort.

When the Lord called him in a vision, Ananias answered, “Behold, I am here, Lord.” But availability became a searching test when the Lord told him where to go: to the street called Straight, to the house of Judas, to inquire for Saul of Tarsus. Ananias knew the reports of Saul’s violence against the saints and the authority he carried to bind those who called upon the name of Jesus. His concern was not imaginary, and his obedience was not the product of ignorance. He brought his fear before the Lord, and the Lord answered with a purpose greater than the danger Ananias could see: “he is a chosen vessel unto me” (Acts 9:15). Ananias knew what Saul had done; Jesus knew what He intended to do through him. Faith did not require Ananias to call evil good; it required him to trust the Lord who could interrupt an evildoer and redirect his life. Dare to be an Ananias: dare to bring your honest fears before God without allowing those fears to become your final answer to His call.

The beauty of this encounter comes into focus when Ananias entered the house, laid his hands on Saul, and addressed him as “Brother Saul.” The man who had come to Damascus intending to bind believers was met by a believer who came to minister to him. Before Saul could offer years of service as evidence of his transformation, Ananias welcomed him on the strength of the Lord’s commission. He did not come to congratulate Saul’s past, excuse his violence, or flatter his importance; he came because Jesus had sent him. Through that obedient ministry, Saul received his sight, and the account immediately records that he arose and was baptized. In Saul’s later testimony, Ananias also urged him to rise, be baptized, and call upon the name of the Lord. What a beautiful picture of grace: the feared persecutor receiving help from one of the very people he had intended to harm. Dare to let your words and actions bear witness that Christ can make a brother out of someone whose former life made him an enemy.

Ananias was not introduced as a celebrated apostle or a commanding public figure, but as “a certain disciple.” Yet Saul later remembered him as “a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there” (Acts 22:12). His quiet faithfulness mattered before this extraordinary assignment arrived. He was available when called, honest when afraid, and obedient when directed. We must not turn his particular commission into a command to ignore danger, abandon discernment, or grant unrestricted access to anyone who claims to have changed. The point is not that every threatening person must immediately be trusted; it is that fear must not make us unwilling to recognize the genuine work of Christ. As we worship today, let us offer God more than songs from our lips; let us offer Him lives ready for service. Not everyone will preach like Paul, but every disciple can practice the faithful obedience we see in Ananias. Dare to be the person who carries Christ’s welcome, speaks His truth, and helps another person take the next step of faith.

Action Steps: As you join the congregation in worship today, ask God to show you someone who needs a faithful welcome rather than a suspicious distance. Greet the unfamiliar worshipper, encourage the new believer, or offer practical support to someone sincerely seeking a new beginning. Examine whether an old report has made you unwilling to acknowledge present evidence of repentance. Where harm has occurred, honor appropriate safeguards, accountability, and patient rebuilding of trust. Choose one deliberate act of obedient kindness this week, and let your worship continue in the way you receive and serve others.

Quote for the Day: “Faith does not always silence the trembling heart; sometimes it leads trembling hands to the very person God has sent them to strengthen.” — (Simon Olatunji #quotablequotes)

Let Us Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for another glorious day, another opportunity to worship You in the congregation of Your people. Make me an obedient disciple like Ananias of Damascus. When Your call unsettles my comfort, help me to bring my fears before You without hiding behind them. Give me discernment to recognize Your work, courage to follow Your leading, and humility to serve without seeking recognition. Deliver me from the hypocrisy that pretends before You and from the prejudice that refuses to see what Your grace can do. Let my hands bring help, my words communicate truth, and my presence make room for faithful fellowship. As I worship You today, prepare me to serve whoever You place in my path — in Jesus’ most glorious name. Amen.

_____________________

Thank you for threshing the Word with me today. For further study on this topic, please read: Acts 5:1–11; Acts 9:1–22; Acts 22:6–16; Romans 12:9–18; 2 Timothy 1:7; James 2:1–9.

With all my love and prayers,

Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.

Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)

Send | Share | Subscribe | Support