Give Me the Details

 

“It will be told you what you must do.” –Ephesians 5:17 (NAS)

 

In Acts 9, a man named Ananias had an even more frightening assignment.   The  Lord  said, “Go  to  the  house  of  Judas  on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul” (v. 11).  Ananias  knew  Saul’s  main  priority  was  harassing  the Christians and instigating their demise. I could imagine him not wanting to obey, but he went nonetheless. Do you know what he found when he got there? Jesus had already met Saul on the road to Damascus! Saul, renamed Paul, was simply waiting for someone to come and fill in the details about Jesus and what he should do next.

 

In Acts 10, the Lord told Peter to go to a Gentile army officer named Cornelius. Peter was so skeptical that God had to send a vision to convince him. Imagine the cultural gap. For a humble Jewish fisherman to go to the home of a leading Gentile army officer must have felt tenuous. But however reluctantly, Peter also obeyed. What do you think he found? Well, when he got there, he found that God had already been working in Cornelius’ life. He and “a large gathering of people” (v. 27) had assembled and were eagerly waiting to hear Peter’s message!

 

As you reflect on your life and listen for God’s leading, can you identify an area of great need that lacks what God wants to offer through you?  It’s probably a person, group, or place that seems a bit overwhelming to reach. It may be somewhere or some group  that—humanly  speaking—is  a  bit  “impractical  and improbable” for you to minister to. Sacrifice is likely required.

 

Perhaps thinking about that your assignment frightens you a little—or a lot. But maybe that is just the purpose He has for you. You may find different results than those in Acts, but no matter how uncertain the situation, our Lord prepares the way and empowers us to accomplish His purpose, so ask God to give you the details now (cf. Isa 52:12; Phil 2:13; Eph 6:10)!

 

For Discussion: Read Matthew 9:35-38 and John 4:35. Then help each person or the whole family identify an area of need to which they can respond. How do the stories from Acts affect how you should relate to this need? Do you believe that God will go before you, as He did in these accounts from Acts (cf. Job 42:2; Prov 19:21)? If He chooses to act differently, how will or should that affect you? Pray for motivation and strength to begin or continue serving the Lord’s purposes there…today!