This week’s story shows how to follow God when it sounds crazy. Philip had a thriving church in Samaria when God gave him a new assignment. Acts 8: 26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.[1] Philip would have known that the desert road was south of Jerusalem. The word translated south, mesembria, can also mean noon time.[2]
Why would Philip leave a successful ministry to go out to the middle of nowhere in the hottest part of the day? In the natural, it makes no sense. But God had a plan that tested Philip’s obedience.
Blessings of Obedience
Philip seems to obey immediately. He had no details, but God had it under control. The Lord timed the meeting of a chariot and Philip. God planned a divine meeting to take the Gospel to another nation. Acts 8: 27 So he (Philip) started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. [3]
“Candace” was a title for the monarch of Ethiopia, somewhat the way “Pharaoh” was used in Egypt and “Caesar” in Rome. The fact that this court official oversaw her entire treasury shows that he was an extremely high-placed and well-trusted government member.[4]
The eunuch seems to be a God-fearer, a Gentile worshipping as a Jew. He must have been quite devout to make the long trip from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. He was still seeking God as he purchased the scroll of Isaiah and was reading it on the way home. God timed Philip’s trip to meet this eunuch and explain the Gospel to him. This government official was in a position to share Jesus with a whole nation.
How God Guides Us
For God to guide us, we must be willing to be steered. The Lord can use many things to point us in the right direction. The Holy Spirit, Scripture, prayer, and even our emotions can play a part in His guidance. God’s direction comes in habitual prayer, Bible study, the surrender to be used, and an openness to unique instructions. Just as in Philp’s case, God’s directions to us may not seem logical, but usually, they will feel right.
As we maintain our relationship with God, His instructions are not a duty but something we want to do. With this attitude, we are ready when an opportunity presents itself. The story of Philip and the eunuch gives us a model of sharing our faith as the Holy Spirit guides us. We may not know the influence one “chance” meeting can have, but God knows.
To learn more about how to follow God when it sounds crazy, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/philip-and-the-ethiopian
[1,3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[4] Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). Acts (p. 145). Tyndale House.