road to Damascus

Blinded by the Light

1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth 2 and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” 3 But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” 6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. 11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door. Genesis 19:1-11 ESV

Moses indicates that after Abraham had completed his rather strange conversation with God, “the Lord went his way” (Genesis 18:33 ESV), and Abraham returned to his tent near Hebron. But that very same evening, the two angels of the Lord arrived at Sodom and discovered Lot “sitting in the gate” (Genesis 19:1 ESV). This phrase will take on special importance as the story unfolds. Typically, it was used to refer to someone who served in the capacity of a municipal judge. The city gate was where the community conducted its business. Markets were located at the entrance to the city where vendors plied their wares. But it was also where disputes among the city’s residents were settled by the appointed judges.

Lot, who had initially “moved his tents to a place near Sodom” (Genesis 13:12 NLT), had eventually relocated his family to more permanent housing within the city’s walls. And, apparently, Lot had become an active member of the community, even managing to garner the coveted position of a judge. His title and job description would have exposed Lot to all the immoral and unethical behavior taking place within the city. He would have well aware of the ungodly lifestyles of his neighbors. Which would explain his rather determined insistence that the two visitors spend the night under his roof.

“My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.” – Genesis 19:2 NLT

There is no indication that Lot was aware that these two men were actually angels or messengers from God. He simply discerned them to be strangers who appeared to be men of importance.

But when the two visitors turned down his gracious offer of hospitality and revealed that they were planning to spend the night in the town square, Lot became insistent. He knew that decision would not end well. So, at his extreme urging, the two men made their way to Lot’s home, where he had a meal prepared for them. 

It’s at this point in the story that the plot takes a dark and perverted twist. As Lot and his guests feasted inside his home, the men of Sodom gathered outside the door. The rumors had quickly spread that there were two prominent and well-to-do visitors spending the night with Lot. Moses goes out of his way to reveal how the perversity within Sodom was all pervasive. He indicates that “all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house” (Genesis 19:4 NLT). Every red-blooded male Sodomite had flocked to Lot’s doorstep with one thing in mind. And it was not to shower Lot’s guests with a display of civic hospitality.

Moses foreshadowed this scene when he earlier indicated the moral state of the men of Sodom.

…the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. – Genesis 13:13 ESV

And the diverse makeup of the crowd reveals that the wickedness of Sodom spanned the generations and was evident within every strata of Sodomite society. From the young and the old to the rich and the poor, every single male had made their way to Lot’s house, each driven by the same immoral passion. And they quickly made their intentions known.

“Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” – Genesis 19:5 NLT

This is not a case of hyperbole. Moses is not utilizing literary exaggeration to drive home a point. He is revealing the full extent of Sodom’s wickedness. It was all-pervasive and far beyond the scope of acceptable behavior for any society. And, sadly, none of this came as a surprise to Lot. His fervent efforts to house the two men in his home reveal his awareness of the dangers that lurked just outside the walls of his home. But despite all he knew about his adopted hometown, Lot had chosen to remain in Sodom, even becoming a prominent and well-respected city leader.

And, in his role as judge, Lot attempted to arbitrate a “cease fire” with his impassioned, hormone-driven neighbors. In an effort to prevent any harm coming to his guests, Lot even offered them a shocking compromise. He offered up his two virgin daughters as substitutes. As the story will reveal, both girls had both been betrothed Sodomite men, but they had not yet consummated their marriages. To the Middle Eastern mind, hospitality was a sacred responsibility. To fail to care for and protect someone taking shelter in your home was considered to be a crime. And Lot’s behavior, while shocking to our modern sensibilities, was in keeping with the relational protocols that ruled his day. These men were his guests, and he was personally responsible for their well-being.

But Lot’s negotiations proved fruitless. Driven by their uncontrollable sexual urges, the mob refused his offer and increased their efforts to gain access to the two visitors. And they revealed their disdain and dislike for Lot.

“This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” – Genesis 19:9 ESV

This sentence says a lot about what they thought of Lot. They claim that Lot came to “sojourn.” The Hebrew word carries the idea that Lot had shown up in Sodom, intending to “dwell for a time.” He had planned on being a temporary resident but, instead, he had become a permanent fixture in the community. Not only that, he had “become the judge” or law-giver. They express their frustration with this outsider who had set himself up as the sole determiner of right and wrong. Who was he to decide what was acceptable behavior in Sodom?

Things were getting out of hand. Tempers were flaring. Hormones were raging. And Lot found himself in a difficult and potentially deadly predicament. But little did he know that his guests were angelic beings. As the angry crowd pushed in on Lot, threatening to do him bodily harm, a hand reached out and pulled him inside.

And then something incredible took place. The text simply states, “And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great…” (Genesis 19:11 ESV). But the wording in Hebrew is vital to understanding the miraculous nature of what took place. As soon as the angels drew Lot into the safety of his own home, they “struck with blindness” those outside the door. The way this sentence reads in Hebrew is that the angels struck the men and the result of blindness. Whatever happened left every member of the unruly crowd unable to see. They were left groping around in darkness. But notice that their altered state did not alter their desires.

…they wore themselves out groping for the door. – Genesis 19:11 ESV

They had arrived that night, under cover of darkness, with the intentions of doing something grievous. Their hearts darkened by sin, they were incapable of seeing the error of their ways.  No amount of pleading or bargaining on Lot’s part was going to prevent them from fulfilling their perverse desires. But now they found themselves suffering from literal blindness. Now their physical state matched their spiritual state.

It was Jesus who said, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind” (John 9:39 NLT). What the angels did to the spiritually blind men attempting to beat down Lot’s door was remove their capacity to fulfill their sinful desires. But the sinful desire remained. Their hearts were unchanged. And their pitiful groping for fulfillment and satisfaction would continue unabated.

So, how did the angels blind these men? While the passage does not answer this question, there will be clues provided as the story unfolds. This story brings to mind another encounter between a messenger of God and the ungodly. It is recorded in the book of Acts and involves a man named, Saul, who was a Pharisee and paid bounty hunter who made his living rounding up and arresting followers of “The Way.” In other words, he was a professional persecutor of Christians.

But one day, as he was making his way to the city of Damascus to arrest Christ-followers, he was suddenly exposed to a very bright light, in the middle of the day. As he later told the story: “…about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me” (Acts 22:6 ESV). This unexpected encounter left Saul blind.

“I could not see because of the brightness of that light…” – Acts 22:11 ESV

This persecutor of the church was blinded by the light of Christ’s glory. He had encountered the resurrected Son of God, the very light of life (John 1:4) and the light of the world (John 8:12). In the midst of the darkness of his sin-controlled life, Saul encountered the light that shines in the darkness (John 1:5) and was changed forever. He walked away blind, but later lived with an enlightened awareness of God’s goodness and grace as revealed in His Son.

It could be that the very thing that left the men of Sodom blinded and groping for the door was the light of God’s glory. But unlike Saul, their encounter with “the light of the world” left them blinded but unenlightened and unchanged. They remained stubbornly persistent in their desire to live according to the desires of the flesh. And, as the story will reveal, their spiritual blindness would be the death of them. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Unimpressive, Yet Unashamed.

Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. – 2 Corinthians 10:7-12 ESV

Paul had his critics. They seemed to dog his steps and show up wherever he went. And Corinth was no exception. For whatever reason, Paul was always having to defend his apostleship. It seems that his critics used that particular topic as one of their favorites in their attempt to discredit Paul. And Paul was fully aware that his apostleship and commissioning by the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus, was far from conventional. He was not one of the original disciples. Unlike John, James, Peter and the others, he had not been hand-picked and called by Jesus. He had not spent three years serving as a disciple to the Messiah. He had not been present on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples. Paul realized that his calling had been radically different, but it was also no less real. He had seen the resurrected Lord. He had clearly received his call to be “a chosen instrument … to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15b ESV).

But while his apostleship and the authority that accompanied it was the primary point of objection for his critics, Paul also faced attack on a variety of other, more superficial levels. In the verses above, we see them accusing Paul of weakness. Essentially, they say that Paul hides behind his pen, writing scathing, authoritative letters full of demands and commands. But in person, he proves to be a disappointment – physically weak and verbally challenged. In other words, Paul was a less-than-dynamic physical force. His oratory skills were far from impressive. And the interesting thing is, that Paul fully disclosed the truth behind all of that. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul admitted, “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan” (1 Corinthians 2:1 ESV). He went on to explain, “I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:3-5 ESV). Paul would go on to confess, “I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church” (1 Corinthians 15:9 NLT). Paul referred to himself as “the least of all the saints” (Ephesians 3:8) and the worst of all sinners (1 Timothy 1:16).

So Paul would have heartily agreed with his critics’ assessment of his weakness. In fact, just a few chapters later in this same letter, Paul will eagerly and proudly exclaim, “I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV). Weakness was not a negative to Paul. He saw it as a positive, because it forced him to rely on the power of God. But his weakness did not negate his authority. He refused to allow his critics to undermine his authority simply because they were unimpressed with his presence. He was a representative of God, a Christ-ordained spokesman with a commission to build up the body of Christ.

As is almost always the case in a dispute regarding authority, there was someone in Corinth who was also claiming to be speaking for Christ. That is what led Paul to say, “If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we” (2 Corinthians 10:7 ESV). This individual was the one who was painting Paul as a weakling. His bold, in-your-face letters were a cover-up for his far-from-impressive presence. The reason Paul spent so much time away, this individual suggested, was because Paul knew his letters were more effective than his physical presence. But Paul responds, “Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present” (2 Corinthians 10:11 ESV).

Paul was not going to get into a war of words or a defense of his ministry based on outward appearances or physical attributes. In fact, he told the Corinthians, “Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!” (2 Corinthians 10:12 NLT). For Paul, the message was all that really mattered. He saw himself as nothing more than an unworthy vessel through which God poured out the blessing of the gospel upon those who were undeserving and in need of His mercy. Paul has already told the Corinthians:

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. – 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 ESV

Jars of clay. Vessels of stone. Cheap household pottery. It wasn’t the receptacle that was to impress, but the contents contained within it. Paul never intended to overwhelm people with his power, presence, or eloquence. His simply wanted to be faithful to his calling and allow the power of God to flow through him.

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:2-5 ESV

But Now I See!

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 ESV

Paul viewed himself as a minister of the new covenant. He had been commissioned by Jesus Christ to carry the message of the gospel, the good news that a right standing with God was available through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah. It was not based on the old covenant of works or human effort. No longer did men have to vainly attempt to keep the Mosaic law, trusting that their efforts would somehow measure up to God’s righteous standard and earn them favor in His sight. That old way had been replaced with a new and better way. The author of Hebrews reminds us:

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. – Hebrews 8:6-7 NLT

Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God. – Hebrews 7:22 NLT

Paul didn’t lose heart in sharing this new and better covenant with the world, because he knew it was effective. It was the key to victory over sin and the means by which men could be make right with God – once and for all. So in spite of opposition, rejection, persecution and seeming lack of success at times, he kept sharing. He felt no need to use deceitful tactics or underhanded means by which to trick people into believing the gospel. There was no need. It could stand on its own because it was the truth of God and had proven itself fully capable of transforming the lives of countless individuals without Paul having to resort to human wisdom or his own personal powers of persuasion. In fact, in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminded them, “I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan…Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1, 4-5 NLT).

There was no doubt that some who heard the gospel as preached by Paul, Silas, Titus and others, remained unchanged. The problem was not with the gospel or the presentation skills of the minister, but with the spiritual condition of the recipients. They were blind – “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV). It is important to keep Paul’s use of the word “veiled” linked with his prior use of it in chapter 3. There he had been talking about the old covenant as revealed under Moses. It was the covenant of the law. And there were still Jews who were trying to gain favor with God through the keeping of the law.

But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. – 2 Corinthians 3:14-15 ESV

When the Jews in Paul’s day read the books of the law, they were blinded by their own belief and expectation that they could somehow be made right with God through that old covenant. So they refused to accept Jesus as the mediator of a new and better covenant. And in the case of non-Jews, Paul insists that the were blinded by the god of this world – Satan.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT

Their eyes must be opened to the truth in order to receive it. Their spiritual blindness must first be healed so that they can see the glory of God in the face of Christ. Paul knew exactly what he was talking about, because it was what had happened to him in his own conversion. He recounting of that fateful day is found in Acts 9 where he tells of coming face-to-face with the resurrection Christ. On the road to Damascus where he intended to persecute and arrest Christians, Paul (then known as Saul) was suddenly blinded by a light and heard the voice of Jesus Himself.

Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. – Acts 9:8-9 ESV

Jesus commanded Saul to go to the city of Damascus and await further instruction. God sent a disciple named Ananias to minister to Saul.

And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. – Acts 9:17-19 ESV

Saul had been blind, but when the Holy Spirit came upon him, his physical sight was immediately restored along with his spiritual sight. He was able to see for the first time in his life the truth of the very gospel he had been trying to destroy. He was converted. And in chapter three of 2nd Corinthians, Paul insists that it is the Holy Spirit who removes the veil from the spiritual eyes of the lost so that they might see and reflect the glory of the Lord.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. – 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT

Like the blind man who had been healed by Jesus, those who have their spiritual eyes opened by the Spirit of God so that they can see and accept the truth of the gospel, are able to say, “I was blind, and now I can see!” (John 9:25 NLT). That bright, holy light that had blinded Paul on the road to Damascus is the same light of the glory of Christ that shines into the life of every unsaved person, eliminating the darkness of sin and illuminating their lives with the life-transforming hope of the gospel.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

It is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that makes it possible for spiritually dead and sightless individuals to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He opens their eyes so they might see the truth of the gospel message of hope, healing and restoration. Salvation is the work of God as performed by the Spirit of God in the lives of the lost. It is not due to the persuasive power of men like Paul. Only God can restore sight to the blind. Only God can raise the spiritually dead back to life. Only God can remove the veil placed on the minds of unbelievers by Satan, allowing them to see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV).

 

 

The Rest of the Story.

Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. – Acts 9:13-14 ESV Ananias was a disciple of Jesus living in the city of Damascus. One particular morning, he received a vision from God, who told him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,  and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight” (Acts 9:11-12 ESV). Now you would have thought that Ananias, having just received a direct command from God, would have immediately done what he had been told to do. But instead, Ananias expressed his surprise and apprehension at the news he had just heard. God was asking him to go and visit a religious vigilante, someone who had hired himself out to the high priest and rulers on the Jews as a kind of spiritual bounty hunter, rounding up Christians and throwing them in jail. Saul had been at the stoning of Stephen and he was now taking part in an organized persecution of the church. “Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3 ESV). And he was on his way to Damascus. “Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1 ESV).

So when Ananias, a resident of Damascus received word from God that Saul was in their town and that he was to go and heal him from his blindness, he was more than a bit surprised. News of Saul had spread. He had a less-than-angelic reputation and Ananias couldn't figure out why God would command him to assist this man in any way. If he was blind, why not leave him that way? Surely, he deserved it. He was pure evil. He was arresting innocent believers and throwing them in jail. He was working for the enemy. Why should he be helped in any way?

Ananias' simple prayer expressed his consternation and confusion. It all made no sense to him. But a big part of his problem was that he didn't know the whole story. He was completely unaware of what had happened to Saul as he was on his way to Damascus. Ananias didn't know that Saul had also had a divine encounter, but with Jesus Himself. As Saul made his way to Damascus with the intention of arresting believers, the resurrected Jesus appeared to Him. Left physically blind as a result of his meeting with the Savior, Saul had made his way to Damascus as he had been instructed, and had spent three days neither eating or drinking, waiting for further instructions. Ananias knew nothing about any of this. All God had told him was to go to the street called Straight and to heal Saul of blindness. Which led to Ananias' prayer.

So much of the time our prayers are based on scant information. We pray out of ignorance. And that's not necessarily wrong. But we must learn to accept the reality that we don't always have all the facts. Like Ananias, we can end up praying based on little or no information. We jump to conclusions. We conjure up scenarios and consequences. But we don't know what God is doing behind the scenes. Ananias had heard rumors about Saul. He knew him to be an evil man who had done very bad things. So it wasn't hard for Ananias to conclude that any dealings with Saul would be dangerous and to be avoided at all costs. But what Ananias didn't know was what God had in store for Saul. He didn't take into account God's sovereign will. Yes, Saul was powerful and had been backed by the high priest, but God was more powerful. He could handle Saul. In fact, when God heard the prayer of Ananias, He simply responded, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:15-16 ESV). He told Ananias to stop praying and to be obedient. Just go! Trust me!

When we pray, we must always take into account what we don't know. We must also never forget what God does know: everything. So often, our prayers are little more than out attempt to tell God what we think He doesn't know. We spend a great deal of time sharing news of which we think He is unaware. We spend a great deal of time trying to inform the all-knowing God. But we might be better off asking God to reveal to us what we don't know. It might serve us better to ask God to open our eyes and help us to see His hand at work in our circumstances. Ananias attempted to bring God up to speed about Saul. But what he didn't realize was that God was well aware of who Saul was and all that he had done. But God also knew what He was going to do with Saul – something neither Saul or Ananias were aware of. They didn't know the rest of the story. But God did. Our prayers must always take into account the fulness of God's plan. He is never at a loss as to what to do. He is never ignorant of the facts. Men like Saul don't scare or surprise Him. The situations we face don't catch Him off guard. Prayer is less an opportunity for us to tell God all that we know than it is a chance to learn from God all that He is doing. We should seek to know the rest of the story.