What if? What next?

The future is unknown.

The present is overwhelming.

What now?

Saul persecuted the early church. Jesus intervened.

What would Christ ask of him?

“Who are You, Lord?” he said.

“I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,’ He replied. ‘But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do (Acts 9:5-6 HCSB).”

It was not what he’d expect.

Jesus prepared Ananias for a visit to Saul…

“But the Lord said to him, ‘Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name (Acts 9:15-16 HCSB)!”

A personal and precise mission…

“Then He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21 HCSB).”

Did he sometimes wonder what if, what next, or what now? Maybe. Yet, he submitted; Lord, what would you have me to do?

It was not an easy call.

“… many more imprisonments,
far worse beatings, near death many times.
Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews.
Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans.
Once I was stoned by my enemies.
Three times I was shipwrecked.
I have spent a night and a day
in the open sea.
On frequent journeys, I faced
dangers from rivers,
dangers from robbers,
dangers from my own people,
dangers from the Gentiles,
dangers in the city,
dangers in the open country,
dangers on the sea,
and dangers among false brothers;
labor and hardship,
many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst,
often without food, cold, and lacking clothing.

Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:23b-28 HCSB).”

Published articles in Mature Living Magazine, Devotions for the Deaf, The Secret Place, Coosa Journal, Mary Hollingsworth's The One Year Devotional of Joy and Laughter, Jo Krueger's Every Day in God's Word. http://www.pamforddavis.com
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