Acts 9:10

Acts 9:10 says, And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.  God appeared in a vision to a disciple named Ananias and told him that He had a job for him.  Ananias said, “Here am I,” just as we should if God calls us to do something today.  Verse eleven adds, And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,  Verse twelve continues, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.  God reveals to Ananias what he is to do.  Go to Saul of Tarsus, who was praying and had seen Ananias coming, and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight.  God was about to answer Saul’s prayer, just as He will answer ours today. Verse thirteen states, Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:  Ananias had heard a lot of bad things about Saul and seemed less willing to do what God had asked him to do.  He had heard of Saul and his persecution of Christians, and now he was being sent to him.  If God called us to go to the person who was most actively persecuting Christians today, what would our reaction be?  Ananias suddenly thought more about who Saul was than he did about Who God is.  After Ananias said, "Behold, here am I," there should have been no need for discussing who Saul was.  When we know Who God is and pronounce ourselves ready to do what He directs us to do, we need simply to do it.  When we begin to look to other things, whatever they might be, it is easy to bargain ourselves completely out of doing what God has directed us to do.  For this reason, we must learn to obey without question.  Verse fourteen adds, And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.  Ananias had stated in verse ten, "Behold, here am I," but in verses eleven and twelve, he was chosen to go to Saul and be used by God to restore Saul' s sight.  We might ask why God needed anyone to go to Saul when God could have just as easily done it without anyone going.  I think part of the reason was to allow Ananias to witness the miracle that God had performed in Saul's life. Another part was to allow Ananias to tell others about the change in Saul.  Now, he was telling God who Saul was.  God will not send us into a situation that He knows nothing about.