Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

I am not sure just how much of the grace given to Saul helped transform him into Paul. I am sure that being called brother, being welcomed into the fold, even before that laying on of hands, might have had some impact. Being welcomed into the fellowship of believers can be very impactful. Do not make lite of a heart felt welcome, it is very important, especially in today’s church.

These are the Godly emotions upon which the Lord builds the bonds of faith, peace, and love. God can and does use our emotions to motivate us. It is not a manipulation, it is an understanding of our condition, and those things which lead to obedience of faith.

I have of late witnessed a number of times when men have attributed human emotions to God. I do not agree with it. I believe God is above petty emotions as we express them, but I do believe God understands them.

Acts 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

The Lord has just given Ananias instructions to go and heal Saul. Of what value is verse 16 in reference to obedience of faith by Ananias? None. The Lord did not have to say this to Ananias in order to invoke His will in this matter. Telling Ananias to go and do should have been enough.

In my human condition, in my emotions, trying to quell the voices shouting in my head; no, no, this is a dangerous man, I hear something rather human. It is based on emotions, of which fear is a strong one in the moment. I hear myself thinking, “Well if you are going to make him suffer, let’s get on with it then.”

That’s petty, but it is a real emotion. One that is discovered only because of verse 16.