Read
And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Acts 9:4-5
Reflect
When I was in 8th grade, there was a kid in my school who decided it was his personal mission to make my life miserable. We were on the football team together, played in the school band together, and had one or two classes together. But almost from the first day we met, he singled me out as someone he didn’t like. Every day, he would gather a few of the bigger guys on the football team, seek me out, and try to intimidate me—to make me afraid.
And he succeeded.
Things got bad enough that I asked my parents if I could go to a different school. Needless to say, this guy was not my favorite person.
Now imagine this scenario. One day, God speaks to me and says, “You know that guy who’s been after you? He got hurt pretty badly in practice today, and he’s going to be in the hospital for a while.”
(At this point, you know I’d be smiling and thinking, Serves him right. I hope it hurt.)
But then God says, “I want you to go and be a friend to him.”
(And I’d be thinking, No way. After what he’s done to me? )
And then God goes even further: “Don’t think ‘no way.’ I want you to help nurse him back to health.”
(That’s where I’d formally object. Even God couldn’t expect me to be that nice to my tormentor.)
But years later, when I read Acts 9, I realized I wasn’t imagining some far-fetched situation. I was imagining something very biblical.
In today’s Scripture, we meet Saul—a man who wasn’t just a bully. He was an authorized persecutor of Christians, actively pursuing them, arresting them, and delivering them to the Jewish authorities. He approved of violence and likely helped stir up mobs that carried out “instant justice” by stoning believers to death. When Saul was blinded on the road to Damascus, Ananias may very well have been one of the people Saul intended to arrest next.
So when God told Ananias to go find Saul, care for him, and pray for him, it’s no surprise that Ananias protested. God wasn’t asking him to forgive someone who had hurt his feelings. He was asking him to walk straight toward a man with a reputation for imprisoning—and killing—people like him.
And yet, Ananias obeyed.
Because of that obedience, Saul became a follower of Christ. He took the name Paul and went on to spread the gospel throughout the Roman world. Paul is often regarded as the second most influential figure in Christian history—but none of that happens without Ananias choosing obedience over fear.
Obedience sometimes means showing grace to the very person we think least deserves it.
There may be someone in your life who makes you miserable, someone who even seems to enjoy doing it. But God calls us to reflect His love to everyone—especially those who treat us poorly. As Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
This week, when someone is mean or hurtful to you, pause before responding. Say a special prayer for them. Ask the Lord what obedience looks like in that moment. Sometimes it’s something dramatic. More often, it’s simply choosing prayer instead of retaliation—and trusting God to do the rest.
Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
