Reading through Acts chapter 9, I see a prominent theme that nothing is impossible for God. Nothing is too great for God.
In Acts 9, Saul, who stood by during the stoning of Stephen, travels to Damascus to imprison and kill more Christians. On the way, God appeared to Saul in a bright, mid-day light. Saul was blinded and has to be led to Damascus. There, he became a Christian.
Saul was one of the meanest and worst human beings at the time. Verse 1 gives us a backdrop as to how evil Saul was:
Acts 9:1 “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,”
Threatenings! Slaughter! He not only wanted to harm Christians. He wanted to slaughter them. However, as bad and evil as he was, he witnessed the power of God on that Damascus road, and his life was instantly changed. In spite of the countless Christians he had murdered, imprisoned and beaten, God was still willing and able to heal Saul’s soul. The blood of Jesus is powerful enough to forgive any sins, regardless of how many or how bad they are.
Saul makes it to Damascus and a man named Ananias is called on by God to heal him. I like what Ananias says when he meets God.
Acts 9:10 “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.”
This reminds me of 1 Samuel chapter 3, where Samuel was a little boy. He heard God calling him at night, and precious little Samuel would run to Eli thinking it was he who had called him. Soon Eli realized it was God who was calling little Samuel, and Eli told him the following:
1 Samuel 3:9 “Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”
Ananias went to Saul, laid his hands on him and told him what Jesus had said. Immediately, things like scales fell from his eyes and Saul was able to see. Saul became a Christian and was baptized. God not only heals the heart of a sinner. He also can heal physical ailments like he did here with Saul.
As we continue through the chapter, the focus passes from Saul’s conversion to Peter, who was traveling through the city of Lydda. Here Peter comes upon a man sick of the palsy. In another example of how God can heal, Peter says, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed.” This man was immediately healed.
Toward the end of the chapter, the Bible speaks of a Christian woman named Tabitha, who became ill and died. In one of the most astonishing examples of the length and breadth of God’s ability to heal, God uses Peter to bring Tabitha back to life.
Acts 9:40 “But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.”
Recall the verse in Luke which says:
Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
Nothing at all. There is no amount of sin which God cannot forgive. There is no amount of illness which God cannot heal. Like God healed the soul of Saul, the eyes of Saul, the man with the palsy, the life of Tabitha, God can heal you.
The Eternity Matters blog also came to some of the same conclusions that I did when reading this chapter.
To learn more about Acts chapter 9, follow this link.
