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We meet a godly man named Ananias only once in Acts 9, but his story is reiterated again on two other occasions. But of even greater importance is the role Ananias plays in the life of a key figure in church history.
Ananias provides important details in the story of Saul’s conversion. Without these details that Luke records for us, skeptics could easily chalk up Saul’s experience to a hallucination or even madness, as Governor Festus claimed in Acts 26:24.
(Check out all of the Scriptures telling this story by clicking here.)
I shared a post a couple of years ago about how all of the different individuals who experienced Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus helped confirm the historicity of the account. But what about the confirmation that Saul would need to keep doing what Jesus had commissioned him to do?
I think Saul—who would later change his name to Paul—was grateful that he had this confirmation. Especially as he faced numerous difficulties—like imprisonment, being stoned and whipped by the Jewish leadership, shipwreck, hunger and exposure, and more. It would have bolstered his faith to know that he wasn’t alone in hearing God’s directive for his life, but that Ananias had also confirmed that message to him.
Has this kind of confirmation ever happened to you?
I know I have experienced numerous times where I have felt the Holy Spirit was prompting me to say something, make a certain decision, or undertake a challenging task. Perhaps these thoughts came to me while I was studying my Bible or praying. Then a friend, with whom I hadn’t shared any details, approached me with a question or a statement that confirmed what God had already been speaking to my heart.
I am so thankful that God has graciously confirmed His directives to me. He always speaks in a way that is affirming, especially when others come along with a confirming word.
This is one of the reasons why I am a huge proponent of journaling. It has been so powerful and beneficial for me to write down things that the Holy Spirit speaks to me while I am prayerfully reading my Bible. Sometimes it is almost immediately and at other times it is a long delay until there is a confirming word. With my journal, I can go back to see if the word my friend is sharing with me truly confirms what God had already spoken to my heart.
We see these kinds of confirmation throughout the entire Bible, and I know from personal experience that God continues to speak this way. When He speaks a word to your heart, He will also confirm it through His Word or through a God-fearing friend.
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Craig T. Owens 