Image from bellatorchristi.com
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation For his life is taken away from the earth.’ The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philipbaptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:26-40)
God's blessings be with you, dear Friend! May the time spent in devotional reading and prayer be the foundation of a great day in the Lord. May you, like Philip, grab the chance to share Jesus with someone in need today. (And there are plenty!).
Philip was one of Jesus' Twelve. This passage shares the account of his witness to Christ and leading someone, a foreigner, to Jesus. Philip, ever obedient to the Spirit's leading feels the Spirit guiding him on a road that leads out of Jerusalem and south towards Gaza, the wilderness part of that area. Without hesitating or trying to talk his way out of this obligation, he gets up and goes where the Spirit has led him. He happened to come right behind a chariot carrying an important official from Ethiopia. The man was the minister of finance for the queen of Ethiopia, and he is known as an "Ethiopian eunuch." The man happened to be reading from the prophet Isaiah, whose writings foretold of Christ's coming and life. The custom was to read aloud from the scriptures, so Philip hears what he is reading and so he asks if the man understands what he is reading. The man admits he needs someone to guide him to a deeper understanding. The passage was about Jesus' crucifixion. The Message version says that Philip grabbed his chance and shared the good news about Jesus. He explained Jesus' life, our needed response to that life and our need for baptism, because the man seeing water asks to be baptized as a believer in Jesus Christ. And having fulfilled his call, Philip is whisked away by the Spirit to another place in need, and there he starts over and begins to share Jesus with the people in the towns leading to Caesarea.
God gives the attentive and receptive believers chances like Philip to share Jesus; and sometimes we can even use words! Your kind act, your smile, your willingness to listen to someone in need, and a bunch of other opportunities that may come are way, open up a chance to share our faith. "Let me tell you what God has done for me through Jesus..." and you fill in the blank, and as you do, you are filling in the void in the life of the person listening to you. Think about this Ethiopian official. He was rich. He was powerful. He was a believer in God, but lacked the fullness of life as found in Jesus Christ. I believe it was God who led him to Jerusalem to worship and as he completed his worship obligations begins his trek home when God sends him the completion of his faith through Philip. It may well be that today God may use you to help someone find meaning and purpose in their lives through what you may share.
Dear One, it begins with a willingness to be obedient and receptive to God. And God will take care of the rest, including the sharing of the words needed to bless someone's life into fullness.
PRAYER: Loving God, may You pour out upon this dear reader, that which will bless him into being a blessing to others. Guide his/her thoughts, his/her response and her/his willingness to fulfill what You see as a need in someone special today. This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Say Yes to God's leading today!
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER REQUEST AND UPDATES: Prayers for the family of Col. Bill Weaver who passed away late Monday night. Bill fought a valiant fight against cancer and is now in the arms of his Savior Jesus. Prayers for our sister Bernice Haldersen who underwent knee replacement surgery in Seguin yesterday. Bernice is our child care worker who cares for our children during worship. Prayers for me as I see a retina specialist tis afternoon in San Antonio. Pray for one another and lift high the name of Jesus in all you do today!
