Walk Beside The Carriage

Scripture: Acts 8:26-31

26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” 30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. (Acts 8:26-31 NLT)

You already know from yesterday’s devotional, The Desert Road, how much I respect and admire Philip. The story keeps getting better! Philip went to the Desert Road, just as the Holy Spirit directed him, and simply waited. An impressive entourage, a carriage and accompanying support staff, approached, the Spirit simply said, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip heard the man in the carriage reading Hebrew words aloud and realized the was reading from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him! This may be the first instance of hitch-hiking!

Philip didn’t approach the Ethiopian official with a pre-packaged lecture or prepared soul-winning presentation. He walked alongside his chariot, listened to what the man was already engaged with, and asked a gentle, clarifying question. When the man invited him up, Philip used the exact scripture the man was reading (Isaiah 53) and “many others” to tell him the Good News about Jesus.

Sharing God’s love isn’t about forcing people into our comfort zones; it’s about meeting them in theirs. God wants to use our curiosity, listening skills, and empathy to engage with people. Philip, who had already crossed boundaries and poured his life into the Samaritans, now crossed national and racial boundaries and led a powerful government official from the African nation of Ethiopia to faith in Christ.

Who in your life is asking questions right now, and how can you meet them exactly where they are?

Prayer:

Father, Please help me be sensitive to your Spirit and completely oblivious to racial, cultural, and religious boundaries that would keep me from “walking alongside the carriage” and listening and asking questions instead of merely reciting prepared presentations! I want to be a “boundary crosser” like Philip. In Jesus’ Name!