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Austin ridge

Time with god

Our Daily Devotional is a bite-sized bible study that appears in your inbox, Monday-Friday!

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November 12

God Calling

GETTING STARTED

My mom always taught me the cliché phrase, “Honesty is the Best Policy.” It’s catchy, and it’s very true. Honesty is essential for marriage, relationships, taxes, and every other thing, but for some strange reason, we often forget to be honest with God. Today’s passage starts with an ordinary man who gets honest with God.

  • Has there ever been a time in your life when you were really honest with God? What was that like?

READ THE WORD: ACTS 9:10-19a (ESV)

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. What were the five specific things God told Ananias to look for in the vision?
  2. What was Ananias’ response to what God asked of him? What do you think Ananias was feeling about going to Saul?
  3. How did the Lord answer Ananias? Did he reassure Ananias that it would go well for him if he was obedient?
  4. Has there ever been a time in your life when God called you to do something bold and/or risky? What was the result of your decision?

RESPOND TO GOD

Ananias was given a very specific calling from God—specific all the way down to the name of the street he was to visit. He was given the opportunity to be the instrument God used to heal and baptize Paul, and to play a crucial role in how God would ultimately use Paul as the greatest evangelist of all time. I’ve read these verses many times, but never fully appreciated that Ananias was asking God, “Are you sure about this?” God’s mercy with Ananias shows that God doesn’t command uncomprehending obedience. Ananias’ honesty and hesitation in his calling invites us to think about what our calling is and to be honest with God, knowing that he will accomplish what he has promised.

  • Pray and be honest with God about where you’re at with him today.
  • Thank God for his mercy and grace with you in your hesitations and fears.
  • Pray that God would make evident to you what he wants you to do for him. Then, ask for the courage to do it.
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What to expect

The goal of Time With God is to help you connect with God through Scripture and prayer. Each of our daily devotionals will allow you to dive deeper into a passage of Scripture and teach you how to apply it to your life.

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A word from our team

Welcome to Time With God! We exist to help you connect with Scripture and grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord. Our daily devotionals will provide you with an easy and accessible way to study Scripture for yourself, whether you are a new believer or a long-time follower of Jesus.

We created Time With God to be one tool among many that you can use to help you dive deeper into God’s Word and learn how to apply it to your life. Through spending regular time with the Lord, we hope and pray you would experience the peace and ever-increasing joy that comes with knowing and following Jesus.

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