Acts 9:10-12 (NIV) In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

This is Jesus making sure Ananias knows exactly what He wants him to do. Obviously Jesus isn't going to use this dramatic method every time He wants us to do something. But, this gives us a very clear picture of the lengths Jesus will go to make sure He gets us the message of what He wants us to do.

• Ananias knows for sure it is Jesus talking to him.
• He knows exactly what Jesus wants him to do.
• There is no confusion as to when, why, and how it is to be done.
• He has the power to do what he is told.

Problem solved, right? Wrong!

Acts 9:13-14 (NIV) "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name."

Did Ananias actually believe that Jesus lacked this information? Was he expecting Jesus to let him off the hook because He wasn't aware of the dangers? I really don't think Ananias believed that at all. I feel pretty confident that Ananias knew that Jesus knew everything relevant to this situation. Why was he arguing with Jesus? He was arguing with Jesus for the same type of reasons we argue with Him. He lacked a complete faith, trust, reliance, and dependency on Jesus. We don't want to go because we are afraid of something; or, because it is inconvenient.

Our fear or disobedience may not be the same as Ananias'. But, we will often have a reason generated by fear or inconvenience. If we agree that Ananias already knew that Jesus knew all he was telling Him, then we have to face the fact that Ananias was throwing out excuses.

Our excuses will fall into the category of self, time, location, resources, or effort. Jesus never comes to us with an assignment because we have nothing to do. He isn't saying: “Ananias, I noticed that you weren't busy so I thought maybe this would fit into your schedule.” Jesus wants us to be willing to inconvenience ourselves. Another thing that probably brought out the excuses in Ananias was because this assignment could be potentially dangerous. Ananias probably wanted to protect himself from pain or death. If what Jesus asks us to do gets us killed, will we go anyway? As far as resources go, we only have one life to live. Additionally, Ananias may be wonderful at delegation. We will often be more than willing to let someone else do it. Let them spend their time, resources, and effort on the project. Feelings of inadequacy can also bring out the excuses. We are often afraid that God's assignment will bring embarrassment or failure. We might tell Jesus that we aren't qualified for a high profile case. Ananias may be saying that Saul is way out of his league. This guy really knows the Bible. I might not know what to say to him. We often want to protect our self from the pain of embarrassment.

Acts 9:15 (NIV) But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.

Go! The message came when Jesus was ready for Ananias to go. Jesus isn't going listen to any of our excuses. When He gives us an assignment, He expects the assignment to be carried out and carried out now. If it isn't carried out by us, He will find someone else to do what they are told, when they are told. Let's look at another man who knows that it is Jesus saying it, he knows exactly what Jesus is saying, he knows what it means, and he has the power to carry out the assignment instantly.