Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Obeying the command you've been given

Acts 8:26-27  "Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road - the desert road - that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.'  So he started out..."

This passage is amazing to me as an example of hearing from and responding to the Holy Spirit.  Philip heard nothing more than "go here", and he picked up and went.  No more detail, no explanation of why he was being asked to go there nor questioning what he would find.  He simply heard the command of the Holy Spirit and immediately responded in obedience.

I feel confident that my own response would have been different.  I imagine I would have unleashed a carpet bombing of clarifying questions or just waited around for a more fully-developed plan to be revealed to me.  "Why am I being asked to go there?"  What do I do when I get there?"  Why me?"  "What about the plans and responsibilities I have here?"  "When will I be back?"  "Did I hear the Holy Spirit correctly?" 

By the time I finished asking questions, the moment would have passed and the Holy Spirit would probably have given up on me.  In Philip's case, he would have missed a divine appointment that resulted in the Ethiopian eunuch coming to faith in Christ.

I pray that I may trust the Spirit enough to follow its promptings.  Let me take the step that has been asked of me, and allow God to reveal the next step in His perfect timing.

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