Sunday 2 May 2021

May 2: Acts 8:26-31
 
Key Verse: Acts 8:29
The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’
 
Devotion:
What would you do if a voice told you to do something outside of your comfort zone? Would you just go and do it, or would you look into things a bit more to find out what is being asked of you? If you rush in when you hear the first thing which comes into your mind – you may well get yourself into all manner of trouble... Philip was eager to listen to God and when an angel of the Lord told him to go, he went!
 
But have a look at how he responded. The angel told him to go south to the desert road which went from Jerusalem to Gaza... not going to be a comfortable journey walking through the desert! But as he went along, he spotted a man who was returning home from going to worship in Jerusalem. He was trying hard to read the book of Isaiah, but obviously struggling!
 
Philip obeyed the Spirit when it told him to go close to the chariot – this is where he heard the eunuch trying to get their head round the scriptures. This gave Philip the encouragement he needed to know this was the Holy Spirit talking to him and not just any voice in his head! So he stepped forward and asked if he could help!
 
When God asks us to do something, we can be sure we will get the encouragement and wherewithal to step forward and do whatever God is asking of us. In this case, Philip understood what was written in the book of Isaiah and so he proceeded to help the eunuch to understand God’s Word. We may know a little bit of the bible through studying or through teaching – we can use that little bit of knowledge to help someone else who doesn’t get it... Trust God!
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you think you don’t know enough about the bible?
 
What is your favourite story in the bible – how about telling someone about it?