Pulling Weeds Is Treacherous Work

PASSAGE OF THE DAY:
Acts 9 (click the link)


KEY VERSE:
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:15-16, NIV)


PASSAGE SUMMARY:
Buckle your seatbelts a lot happens here:

• Saul is on a mission to threaten and murder disciples.
• He is blinded by the light and he hears from the Lord on his way to Damascus.
• The disciple Ananias gets word from the Lord to go and heal Saul. Ananias questions this and learns Saul is a chosen instrument.
• Ananias touches Saul’s eyes and scales fall off… he isn’t blind anymore!
• Saul does lots of preaching in Damascus.
• Now people are after Saul, he escapes with the help of the disciples and heads to Jerusalem.
• Barnabas befriends Saul and there is more bold talk of about Jesus.
• Once again folks are after Saul and he is led away to safety in Tarsus. Whew!
• Then Peter travels way away to Lydda and is healing in the name of Jesus.
• Meanwhile in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha dies.  Her friends send for Peter to come to Joppa.
• He arrives and prays to the Lord and brings Tabitha back to life. The saints and widows are called together and then Peter goes to live with a tanner named Simon.

REFLECTIONS:
Pulling weeds is treacherous work (thorns, spiders, snakes, cuts, blisters, other little bug-a-boos, and some remnant of a lizard skeleton), but the renewed life afterwards is, well… Amazing!

It seems even when the Lord directs Ananias to go find Saul (later named Paul) in Damascus, lay his hands on Saul’s eyes and give him sight; Ananias is taken back.  Really, Lord you want me to do what? To this man who could send me off to be persecuted… Really!? The Lord is clear in clarifying with Ananias… “Yes!" And on top of it, “Saul is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.”  Ananias is faithful and does exactly what the Lord requires of him.

There are difficult times of being faithful and doing what is required. And for me it seems to just about always come in the midst of a conflict with someone.  Really, Lord? You want me to go and do or say what with them!? Really? I appreciate Ananias’ first words to Saul, “Brother Saul” Ananias then finishes with “that you may… be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Saul has received renewed life because Ananias is faithful and obedient to the Lord. And what comes after that is Amazing.

Sometimes the Lord requires me to not only pull my own weeds, but to also live outside of my comfortable place and pull weeds in another’s path. I don’t always get to experience what happens afterwards and the renewed life, but when I do it is more amazing than anything I could’ve ever imagined.

Speaking of amazing, if my research is correct, the only woman raised from the dead by someone else besides Jesus is also in Acts 9! It’s almost too much to take in. The much loved disciple Tabitha (also called Dorcas in Greek—meaning gazelle), has just died in the city of Joppa.  The Greek word used for naming Dorcas a “disciple” is mathetria. It means female disciple—this is the only time the word is used in the entire New Testament.  This woman is special and set apart.

Peter (also called Simon, Cephas, the Rock) the apostle is about 12 miles away in Lydda busy performing others miracles through the power of Jesus. Those that are caring for Dorcas heard that Peter is close by and they send for Peter saying, “Do not delay to come to us.”  Peter, being faithful went to Joppa. We do not have an account of anyone asking Peter to raise Dorcas from the dead, but he did. Peter went into the upper room where Dorcas was laid, knelt down and prayed. The scripture says he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, arise.”  Peter called her by her Hebrew name, Tabitha, her given name. Peter then calls to the others… the Saints (or holy ones) and widows and presents Tabitha—Alive!  AMAZING!


PRAYER:
Lord, allow me to pull the weeds, which ever clump, however treacherous and wherever they may be. I want to be part of the after… the renewed, resurrected life You have! You are AMAZING!


WHO AM I?
I go by many names and even have a few nick names, but one of the names I really began to understand in the past few years is, Beloved Daughter of God. I enjoy the times when the Lord amazes people in my life and listening to them recount their story.

I’m Gayle Norris and one of my favorite things to do is walk barefoot in soft grass.  Maybe after I get my weeding done in the backyard some of that new baby grass will have a chance to grow and flourish. I look forward to digging in my toes before our Texas summer sets in.