Here is the next installment in my ongoing series 'Life is a highway'. In this post I want to focus on seizing each opportnity that God presents.
I would like to look at another ‘road trip’ passage of scripture that perfectly illustrates this principle of God meeting with people in their everyday lives on life’s journey …
I would like to look at another ‘road trip’ passage of scripture that perfectly illustrates this principle of God meeting with people in their everyday lives on life’s journey …
Ethiopian
on the Road
(Acts 8: 26 – 39)
26.
But an angel of the Lord spoke to Phillip saying, “Arise and go south to the
road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road)
27.
And he arose and went; and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court
official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her
treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28.
And he was returning and sitting in his chariot and was reading the prophet
Isaiah.
29.
And the Spirit said to Phillip, “Go up and join his chariot.”
30.
and when Phillip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
31.
And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited
Phillip to come up and sit with him.
32.
Now the passage of scripture which he was reading was, “He was lead as a sheep
to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not
open his mouth
33.
In humiliation His judgement was taken away; who shall relate his generation?
For His life is removed from the earth.”
34.
And the eunuch answered Phillip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the
prophet say this? Of himself or someone else?”
35.
And Phillip opened his mouth and beginning from this scripture, he preached
Jesus to him.
36.
And as they went along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said,
“Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
37.
and Phillip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he
answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.”
38.
And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water,
Phillip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39.
And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Phillip
away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
- First
of all, Phillip goes without question where God asks him to go. Everybody else
was going back to Jerusalem. (v 25 ) but he goes a different way toward Gaza on
the desert road.
- Next notice how the timing was set up
perfectly by God. Any sooner or later, and Phillip would never have run into
this Ethiopian traveller. But Phillip met the Ethiopian man right at the exact
moment he was needed.
- Next, notice how Phillip takes the
opportunity God presents. When the Ethiopian asks the question, Phillip
answers. There was no contriving on Phillips part.
- Not only does he believe but then another
opportunity presents itself – water! Why wait? Again, they seize the
opportunity that God presents.
- Finally, Phillip just ‘disappeared’. I find
this interesting. God didn’t ask him to stick around, but physically removed
him to do other work. You see, its all about God – not us. God’s call, God’s
timing, God’s opportunity, God’s way
- We
never know when God will be calling us to do something so be ready. and when they do come, seize the opportunities He presents.
- Sometimes we don’t even know where we’re
going or what we’ll run into when we get there. Sometimes we just do our best
and hope for the best.
- For example, when we were still training for
ministry we had the privilege to go to Banff to a Billy Graham school of
Evangelism. There we met up with a young man who was in Bible college who had
been in our youth group almost ten years earlier. Apparently, we were instrumental in his decision to go into
ministry. I think back to
some of the stuff we did with them and I wonder sometimes how spiritual it
really was… this guy in particular came from a rough background, and sometimes
I wondered if he was even getting anything out of YG at all. However, several
years later, there he was, studying to be a pastor, thanking us for believing in him and
just accepting him.
- I’ve had similar experiences with students
that I have taught over the years, coming back to thank me for making a difference
in their lives. This is the kind of thing that makes all the struggles
worthwhile, and certainly, I never know how I may have influenced someone even
in a secular setting like the school.
- Seize the moment – like Phillip and the
Ethiopian, v 36 says , "And as they went along the road they came to some
water…” All our planning cannot take the place of God appointed opportunities.
For more in this series:
1. Life is a highway - At Camp Sagitawa
2. An everyday journey with God
3. Be the person you were created to be
For more in this series:
1. Life is a highway - At Camp Sagitawa
2. An everyday journey with God
3. Be the person you were created to be
-
Excellent post today, Tracy.
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