Keys to the Kingdom

In 1973, Vicki Lawrence became a one-hit wonder with her recording of “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.“ Her husband, Bobby Russell, wrote the song and it reached #1 on the charts in the United States and Canada. Vicky is best known and loved for her successful comedy career on The Carol Burnett Show which aired from 1967 to 1978. Vicki actually introduced and performed her one-and-only hit song on the show. And then we never heard her sing another song on the airways again. She was a flash-in-the-pan  recording artist, but I still remember her and the song as being great!    

There’s an interesting account in the New Testament about a one-hit wonder named Ananias. He was a believer who lived in Damascus and one day the Lord spoke to him in a vision. He told Ananias to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for Saul of Tarsus. (Previously, Saul had been struck with blindness on the way to Damascus so his friends had to lead him on into town.)

Because Saul had a reputation for jailing and stoning believers, Ananias responded,  “’But Lord, I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon Your name.’ But the Lord said, ‘Go, for Saul is My chosen instrument to take My message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.’ So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight” (Acts 9:13-15,17-18 NLT).

The name “Ananias” means “the Lord’s gracious gift.” Saul needed this obedient believer to pray for him so he could receive his sight and be filled with the Holy  Spirit in order to fulfill the calling God had placed on his life. You might say Ananias was a New Testament flash-in-the-pan because we never hear anything about him again. I’ve wondered what would have happened if Ananias had refused to obey God‘s instructions. I’m thankful he rejected the spirit of fear and chose to obey, inspiring us to do the same.   Ananias was a man of God who didn’t let his trust rust — he used it to greatly advance God’s kingdom. His prompt obedience got Saul off the starting blocks with his ministry.

The important lesson to grasp is that Ananias obeyed God. As far as we know, he  was simply a believer, not a high priest, religious leader, pastor, or teacher. He received the strength and power from God to obey and perform his assignment. Any believer can be used to do God’s work. You don’t have to be qualified, you just have to be available — and willing to trust and obey.

Christ followers should have a full-fledged trust in God. Perhaps Ananias was quoting these verses on his way to pray for Saul: “But I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are my God. My times are in Your hands; deliver me from the hands of my foes and those who pursue me and persecute me” (Psalm 31:14,15 AMP).

The Key: When the Lord says, “Go,“ let’s trust Him enough to obey in a flash.

A beekeeper once told author/pastor F.B. Meyer how some of the young bees are nurtured to ensure their healthy development. The queen lays each egg in a six-sided cell which is filled with enough pollen and honey to nourish the egg until it reaches a certain stage of maturity. The top is then sealed with a capsule of wax.

When the food is gone, it is time for the tiny creature to be released. The wax is so hard to penetrate that the bee can make only a very narrow opening. It is so narrow that in the agony of exit, the bee rubs off the membrane that encases its wings. When it finally does emerge, it is able to fly.

The man telling the story said that one time a moth got into the hive and devoured the wax capsules. As a result, the young bees crawled out without any effort or trouble. But they could not fly.                                                                                                                                                           F.B. Meyer said this: “Remember, it is through the struggle of the trial—the journey out of the pit—that the very best part of us takes flight. One day soon, you will look around to see that you are coming out of the dark.”

In Mark 10, we read about Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, who, when Jesus passed by, recognized him as the Messiah and called on him to show him mercy. Jesus’ disciples rebuked the beggar for such a display, but Bartimaeus continued to cry out.   How was it possible for a blind man to recognize what others did not?  Perhaps his spiritual eyes, the ones that really matter, were open, even though his physical eyes were not.  Bartimaeus recognized that he was a sinner in need of a touch from his Savior. Which is exactly what he got.

Verse 49-52 explains what happened next.  Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they (the disciples) called to the blind man, “Cheer up!  On your feet!  He’s calling you.”      Throwing his cloak aside, the beggar jumped to his feet and neared Jesus who asked what he wanted.  “Rabbi,” he said, “I want to see.” Jesus’ response had to still the crowd. “Go, your faith has healed you.” Immediately, the blind man could see and followed Jesus down the road.

This man was in such a hurry to meet Jesus, he flung his outer cloak away.  Nothing would impede his haste to meet the one who would change his life forever.

Missionary Elizabeth Elliott once wrote, “Long-suffering is sometimes the only means by which the greater glory of God will be served.” Whatever you are going through, however dark your journey might appear, remember that the struggle can lead to your victory.  We all will go through dark periods…some much darker than others. Many times, all we need to do is choose light and get rid of whatever hinders us (like moths or cloaks). We need to look at our problems in the light of Jesus’ power instead of looking at Jesus in the darkness of our problems.

Yes, it can be as simple as that.