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Many of us have no idea how important simple acts of obedience are to God, but we all need to know. When the Holy Spirit gives us instructions and tells us where to go, when to go and what to say or do, we must obey without question or hesitation.
Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us to trust the Lord with all our heart and acknowledge His lordship in our lives, knowing He will direct our path even when we don’t understand the “big picture”. Acts 8:16-40 demonstrates this with the encounter and conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch.
Philip was told to get up and immediately go into the desert. He had no idea why, but he obeyed as instructed. He didn’t know there was a Jewish proselyte (a believer who isn’t a natural-born Jew) sitting in his chariot in the middle of the desert, reading from the scroll of Isaiah. The reason God wanted Philip to get going immediately was because he needed to be there in time to answer key questions about what the eunuch was reading.
The book of Isiah is the biggest book in the Bible, and isn’t it amazing that because of his obedience to the call, Philip was able to reach him at the exact moment the eunuch was reading the prophetic passages about the redemptive work of Jesus as described in chapter 53!
Philip didn’t know his heart was ready to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, but God did. Philip also didn’t know this man was in charge of the treasury for the Queen of Ethiopia. He also didn’t know that God’s plan was to use this born-again eunuch to introduce the gospel not only to the Queen herself, but through his position of influence, to finance the spread of the gospel to the whole Ethiopian nation!
This magnificent plan to reach millions of people all started with one man being obedient to follow instructions without question, with no knowledge of the situation. When he started into the desert, Philip didn’t know who he would meet, if anyone, and what would be the result if he did. And isn’t that the life of faith?
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. How many Ethiopians were saved because of this one man’s obedience? Only God knows, but they will eternally be thankful to Philip someday in heaven - of that you can be sure! And here’s what else Philip can be sure of – a rich reward to enjoy for all eternity because he walked by faith, not by sight, and did what God told him to do.
Never forget – God arranges these encounters, but we are the messengers with the message. Our part is critical to the success in reaching souls for Jesus in the last days. So, be obedient. Trust God. Don’t ask a million questions before you engage. Do your part and souls will be saved. God will be glorified and you’ll be rewarded.
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