Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Divine Opportunities on the Road

Bible Reading:  Acts 8:26-40

Key Verse: Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (Acts 8:26)


DEVOTION

The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch offers a powerful reminder of how God leads, equips, and uses His people to accomplish His purposes. This Philip is not the Apostle, but one of the seven deacons chosen in Acts 6:3; described as “a man full of the Spirit and wisdom.” Though his name first appears during a time of crisis, we soon see him become a vital instrument in God’s hands.
After the martyrdom of Stephen, intense persecution broke out in Jerusalem. As a result, many believers, including Philip, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. While this might have looked like a setback, it was actually the unfolding of Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8, that the gospel would be preached in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Sometimes, what seems like disruption in our lives may be God’s way of redirecting us toward His divine plan.
Philip’s ministry in Samaria was incredibly fruitful. Crowds gathered to hear him, and many were healed and delivered. Great joy filled the city because of the powerful work God was doing through him. Yet, in the midst of this thriving ministry, the angel of the Lord instructed Philip to leave it all and go to a desert road between Jerusalem and Gaza. It was a call that required obedience and trust.
There, Philip encountered an Ethiopian eunuch who was a very important official in the treasury of Kandake and had traveled far to worship in Jerusalem. As the Spirit prompted, Philip approached the eunuch’s chariot and found him reading from the book of Isaiah. The eunuch was reading a passage that talks about Jesus and his life laid down for the sins of the world. God presented Philip with the perfect opportunity to lead this Ethiopian official to Christianity and to be baptized to be a believer in Christ. This conversion led to Christianity being spread to the power structures of another government.
Three powerful lessons emerge from Philip’s story:
1) How God used the persecution in Jerusalem to lead Philip out of there to fulfil what He had said. Sometimes, we might face problems in life so that God could change our course to the purpose that He has established. We only need to trust and obey.
2) Obedience is key, even when the purpose isn’t clear. Philip left a fruitful ministry to walk a lonely road—simply because God told him to. Our willingness to obey, without full understanding, positions us to be part of God’s greater plan.
3) Philip was also a very careful student of the Word and it was because of this that he could explain it to the Ethiopian Official. Similarly, we should also be careful readers and learners of God's Word so that we could efficiently be able to lead others to Christianity.


PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, teach us to trust Your guidance like Philip did. In hardships or blessings, help us follow Your purpose with willing hearts. Make us faithful students of Your Word, ready to lead others to You. May we always obey Your voice. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Authority exercised with humility, and obedience accepted with delight are the very lines along which our spirits live." - C. S. Lewis
                                                        
Veena Thomas
The Statan Island Mar Thoma Church

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