Acts 22:12-16
"A man named Ananias came to see me (Saul-Paul). He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him. "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
Ring, ring; “You have been chosen for our one time offer of…” How many times have you heard that “you were chosen”? Maybe you were chosen on the ball field as teams were dividing up for the latest scrum, or maybe you were chosen by your office workers to hastily put together a brief for your boss. Maybe you were chosen by the luck of the draw? Or maybe you have been chosen so many times that you have lost the significance of being chosen.
In the book of Acts we are reminded of the significance of being chosen, chosen by God. “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.” Saul, soon to be called Paul, heard this from Ananias. You too have been called, you have been chosen! Maybe you were not called with a brilliant lights and a thunderous voice, but this does not diminish the significance of your call. Let those three words, “has chosen you”, rumble around in your heart, soul, and mind; and let yourself feel the thrill of hearing God speak directly to you. |
