Sunday, October 8
Acts 8:26-39
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
Devotional:
Not every believer has an angel of the Lord to direct their path. However, we have the unchanging Word of God (i.e., the Bible). We also have other believers within the church to help us. Additionally, every believer has the Holy Spirit of the living God inside. What wonderful gifts we have been given by God! Yet, not every person has these gifts; certain gifts are given only to those who believe and trust in Jesus.
Consider Jesus. Jesus had a perfect relationship with His Father; no one else had this. Jesus sought to share this gift with others. In fact, that is the main reason that Jesus came; that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:17). Jesus shared the good news with others. This is exactly what we see Philip doing in Acts 8:30-38. Philip is sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.
Prayer:
Father, give me eyes to see the people you have put in my path. Give me a desire and a courage to tell them about You. Strengthen me with Your Spirit; so that You might be glorified as we walk together in Your mission of love. Amen.
Application:
Today, GIVE in a new way. We all realize that God is calling each of us to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. God’s Spirit is leading us out of our comfort zone and into a walk of faith with Him. Yet, how do we overcome our fear and inadequacies? Here is one practical way: Pray with others. GIVE the good news of Jesus to a family member, friend, neighbor and coworker by asking them, “How can I pray for you today?” After they answer, pray for them (right there and then). While you pray to Jesus, thank Him for who He is and for what He has done. Thank Him for hearing and considering your prayer. Ask Him to answer your prayer (in the name of Jesus), according to how good He is.