13Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1-22)
Everyone knows about Saul of Tarsus, who later became the apostle Paul. God used him to write much of the New Testament, but do you know the courageous person God used to heal Saul’s blind eyes, minister the baptism of the Holy Spirit to him, and give him the prophecy he based his entire ministry on? We often forget the Anne Sullivans who reach the Helen Kellers of this world; but without these people who aren’t as famous as their disciples, we wouldn’t have people like the apostle Paul.
After this passage of Scripture, Ananias isn’t mentioned again. As far as we know from the biblical account, he never did any other great exploits. Certainly, he never did anything as earthshaking as his ministry to Saul of Tarsus. Nevertheless, Ananias had to have great faith in the Lord to even go near a man who was persecuting and killing Christians, and he was a vital link in the chain of events that brought us one of God’s greatest men.
In our modern day of distorted values, we have lost sight of the Ananiases of this world. We measure success by cold statistics that often overlook factors like loving parents who sacrificed so their children could succeed or teachers who took extra time and effort to make the difference in one pupil’s life. Because of this we fail to realize the potential of our own small acts.
Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed. Likewise, the potential of your deeds of love and faith to others are beyond your comprehension. Don’t pass up an opportunity to bless someone else today. You could be ministering to the next apostle Paul.
