Thin Times-When God gets our Attention

All of the thin places and thin times we’ve looked at have been instances when the Lord interrupted lives and came close to breathe new life into ministry. Jacob in his dream and while wrestling with God had his life refocused to become a real leader. Elijah, hearing the still small voice of God, was reassured and empowered. Moses at the burning bush found himself saying ‘yes’ to a great change in his life and in the history of the world.

In the New Testament, there are thin times and places. One of these is the conversion of Saul (soon to be Paul). The zealous young Pharisee is on his way to further persecute the heretical sect of Judaism (in his mind at least) in Damascus. He planned “that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:2).  

This was at least a 5 day journey. For most of the trip it was uneventful, boring even. Then, “as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’” (Acts 9:3-6)

Saul finds himself confronted by the Living God who he thought he was serving by persecuting the “Way”. Sometimes, God has to get our attention with a 2 x 4, or a light from heaven. Not only is he knocked to the ground, Saul is struck blind, “so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” (Acts 9:8b-9) He is made dependent on others to learn true dependence on God.

The other person in this story who finds himself confronted by God is Ananias, already a convert to the ‘Way’ who lived in Damascus. He has a vision in which “’The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment 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 9:10-12)

Imagine how Ananias felt. God has asked him to go to an enemy of the fledgling church. He argues, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” (Acts 9:13-14) Like with Moses generations earlier, God reassures his chosen instrument and sends him out, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15-16) Ananias, no doubt with fear and trembling, goes to see Saul. He trusts his Lord enough to act even when common sense would say 'this could be a trap'. Are there times when you have acted out of faith even when, by human standards, the task seems dangerous or impossible?

The two men who have been confronted by God now come together and the direction of the early life of the church is set. “Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, 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 his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” (Acts 9:17-19) Adversaries are made friends and the Saul's old way of looking at his faith is transformed into living faith in the new 'Way.' Isn't it amazing what God can do when we obey?

God often asks us to do things we may not feel strong enough, or wise enough, or powerful enough, or any number of other excuses. As Ananias discovered, you cannot say ‘no’ to God. The Lord has a plan for our lives that we don’t necessarily understand. God challenges us and even knocks us off our feet in order to get our attention. We can say ‘no’ and even try to hide (like Jonah), but God’s love for us won’t leave us alone. No matter how much we argue, God will keep urging and nudging until we do offer our life to God’s service. The Hound of Heaven, by Francis Thompson (1859-1907) gives a poetic turn to this seeking by God’s love and our flight from it (this is a much abridged version, you can find the whole poem online):

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
  I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
  Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
                  Up vistaed hopes I sped;
                  And shot, precipitated,

Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
                  But with unhurrying chase,
                  And unperturbèd pace,
                Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
                  They beat--and a Voice beat
                  More instant than the Feet--
                "All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."
                  I pleaded, outlaw-wise,…

Still with unhurrying chase,
                  And unperturbèd pace,
                Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
                  Came on the following Feet,
                  And a Voice above their beat--
                "Naught shelters thee, who wilt not shelter Me."
…

Now of that long pursuit
                  Comes on at hand the bruit;
                That Voice is round me like a bursting sea:
                  "And is thy earth so marred,
                  Shattered in shard on shard?
                Lo, all things fly thee, for thou fliest Me!
                Strange, piteous, futile thing,
Wherefore should any set thee love apart?
Seeing none but I makes much of naught," He said,
"And human love needs human meriting,
                How hast thou merited--
Of all man's clotted clay rhe dingiest clot?
                Alack, thou knowest not
How little worthy of any love thou art!
Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee
                Save Me, save only Me?
All which I took from thee I did but take,
                Not for thy harms.
But just that thou might'st seek it in my arms.
                All which thy child's mistake
Fancies as lost, I have stored for the at home;
                Rise, clasp My hand, and come!"

  Halts by me that footfall;
  Is my gloom, after all,
Shade of His hand, outstreched caressingly?
  "Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,
  I am He Whom thou seekest!
Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me."

God loved Saul so much that God had to get his attention by striking him blind. God loved Ananias so much that God helped him move past fear to ministry. God loves Francis Thompsons's poetic character so much that God follows until the protagonist finds that "I am He Whom thou seekest." God loves you and me so much that God is there in good times and bad and even, maybe esp., when God gets our attention! Thanks be to God that God is persistent!
Next time we will look at God present in our thanks-giving-when we know the Holy is near and rejoice.