Reflections from February 19, 2010

We end the week in Acts 22 where our verse today is Acts 22:14-15, "The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard."

These were the words of Ananias to Paul when Paul had just arrived in Damascus and Ananias had returned sight to Paul following his encounter with Jesus. You see, on the road to Damascus, Jesus had just recruited one of the best employees of the enemy, Saul. But Jesus knew that Saul would be just as zealous for His cause as he was for the Jewish law; so He brought Paul over. Paul was told these words during his "onboarding" session with Ananias, and turned into one of the greatest ministers in the history of the world.

While we may or may not achieve the greatest of Paul, we should find comfort in knowing that we have been selected, just as Paul was, to be a witness to all men of what we have seen and heard. We should approach this task with the same zeal and devotion that Paul did, for it's the same Spirit, the same Jesus that directs us today as was directing Paul.

From Proverbs, we have Proverbs 19:20, "Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days."

I have a plaque from my childhood that I obtained on a family vacation that says, "You ain't learning nothin' when you're talkin!" This verse is similar to that as well. We can understand why a child may be chatty and not really listen to wise counsel, but as we grow up and toward becoming an adult, we should have learned to listen to those who have the experiences and understanding of life. People are always willing to pass along this knowledge, and by receiving it, we'll better avoid pitfalls and hurt in our life. It's like saving for retirement. As we put this knowledge into our account, we can save it and then draw on it when we are ready to use it.

Proverbs 20:15 tells us, "There is gold and a multitude of rubies, But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel."

As with the verse in chapter 19, today we hear of the true value of knowledge. It can go a long way toward enriching our life. Take it in, save it. When you share with abundance, and use when needed, you don't deplete the account, you are just lending it and it's always retained.

Blessings to all