Appointed to Know His Will: Called to See, Hear, and Be Sent

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Scripture • World English Bible

Acts 22:12–21

WEB

¹²“One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

¹³came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.

¹⁴He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

¹⁵For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

¹⁶Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

¹⁷“When I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance

¹⁸and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’

¹⁹I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

²⁰When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

²¹“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

World English Bible (WEB) • Public Domain

Reflection

In Acts 22 Paul retells the turning point of his life: a direct interruption of his plans by the living God. Ananias shows up, restores sight, and conveys a word from God: Paul is appointed to know God’s will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. That appointment is not merely information; it is commissioning. Knowing God’s will is presented as God’s work on a heart and as the beginning of a purpose that will shape Paul’s whole life.

Notice three things about this appointment. First, it is initiated by God. Paul did not figure his mission out by clever plans or religious ambition; God appointed him. Our knowledge of God’s will begins with God revealing himself—through Christ, by the Spirit, and in the community of faith. Second, knowing God’s will is relational: it involves seeing the Righteous One and hearing his voice. It is not a formula for success but an encounter with the risen Lord who transforms how we live. Third, appointment brings responsibility: to be a witness to what we have seen and heard. Baptism and repentance follow, not as mere ritual but as an embodied response to new identity and mission.

Paul’s story also shows that God’s will can redirect us in unexpected ways. After his conversion he returns to Jerusalem and is told in a vision to leave because the people there will not accept his testimony. Paul objects with honesty and memory of his own past sins. But the Lord’s answer is simple and decisive: depart; I will send you to the Gentiles. God’s will sometimes means leaving familiar places and comfortable approvals to be sent where the gospel will be resisted or ignored. That sending is not abandonment; it is purposeful redirection for the sake of the kingdom.

A pastoral caution: the biblical call to leave a setting or to depart from a ministry context is not a blanket instruction about personal relationships. If someone is in an abusive or dangerous situation, leaving requires wisdom, pastoral and professional help, and often immediate steps to secure safety. The gospel calls us to safety and care for the vulnerable; do not interpret a call to ‘depart’ as advice to remain in harm’s way or to abandon seeking help.

The good news in this passage is that God appoints, equips, and sends. He gives sight, instruction, and a mission that outlasts our mistakes and reputations. Whether you are newly learning to follow Jesus or you have walked with him for years, his appointment means you can know his will—not by guesswork, but by seeing Jesus, listening for his voice, and stepping out in obedient witness.

Putting Faith Into Action

Respond to God’s appointment by cultivating hearing and seeing: spend time in Scripture and prayer asking to see Jesus more clearly and to hear his voice. Make obedience practical—if you have not yet publicly expressed faith through baptism, talk with a pastor or mature believer about taking that step.
When God sends you beyond your comfort zone, be ready to witness even in rejection. Prepare by practicing gentle, clear testimony about what Christ has done for you, serving faithfully in the place where God has placed you, and trusting the Spirit to use your obedience.
If God’s call requires leaving a ministry setting or community, seek wise counsel and plan the transition responsibly. Leaving is not the right answer in situations of abuse or ongoing danger—those situations require immediate help, protection, and professional or pastoral support. Prioritize safety and get trusted assistance if you or someone you know is harmed.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for appointing us to know your will, for opening our eyes to see you and tuning our ears to your voice. Give us courage to respond in repentance and baptism, humility to testify where we are sent, and wisdom when you lead us away from familiar places. Protect those in harm’s way and guide them to help and safety. Make us faithful witnesses to what we have seen and heard. Amen.

Memory Verse

Acts 22:14 — He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. (WEB)

“He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.”

Keep Going Continue to Part 72 Courage Under Unjust Treatment Acts · Acts 22:22–30 Read the next devotional →

Bible Context

Read all of Acts 22

Acts 22

World English Bible • WEB

¹“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

²When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet.

³“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.

⁴I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

⁵as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

⁶“As I made my journey and came close to Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky.

⁷I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

⁸I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’

⁹“Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

¹⁰I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’

¹¹When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.