“So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, ‘Brother Saul,
the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so you may regain your sight
and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”’
– Acts 9:17

Specialists—most sports have them. In football, it’s the long snapper. In baseball, it’s the player who can lay down the sacrifice bunt at a crucial point in the game. Softball has slap hitters, volleyball has setters, and in the final minutes of a basketball game, coaches want the ball in the hands of a clutch free throw shooter. Many times, specialists live in obscurity. They work hard to perfect their skills and they are often called upon when the game is on the line. Too often as fans, we notice them only when they fail. We understand the impact of the star running back or the powerful home run hitter and we cheer loudly for the deadly three-point shooter, but it’s easy to forget the clutch role of the specialist. How many times does the outcome of the game depend on these seemingly unimportant athletes?

The Bible is full of specialists too! We love to read about Biblical stars like Abraham, Moses, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. We are fascinated by the stories of Samson and Daniel. Who doesn’t  get excited about great feats of strength and sleeping in a stadium with lions? Too often we forget about the little guys in the Bible—men and women God calls upon when the game is on the line, who step up and deliver. That’s Ananias. Jesus told him to go find a blind Saul, who had been very good at killing Christians. Ananias put Jesus’ promise ahead of his own fear and did as he was asked. The rest is history. God would use Saul, soon to be known as Paul, to change the world. God uses the star players, but He also uses the specialists.

Lord, use me as You will today. Put me in a star role or let me be a specialist, I just want to serve You. Amen.