learning to walk and share!J. Hudson Taylor began to minister in China in 1857. He met many who had been seeking for a long time, as had their fathers. ‘How long have you known about this news in your country?’ he was once asked. Hudson admitted that England had known for many centuries. ‘My father died seeking, why didn’t you come sooner’.
Throughout these two chapters there is a strong theme that people are seeking truth. Paul was a Jew who sought God. Simon the Sorcerer was a man who sought power, but he recognised the power of God. The Ethiopian was seeking God. Many say that this seeking has died in recent years, perhaps that is true, but it is God who stirs the hearts of those who are ready to listen and it is God who places his word or messenger in the right place at the right time.
Another theme that runs throughout these chapters is the work of the messenger that God equips and then uses to share his good news.
It has been pointed out that God rewards faithful work with more faithful work. Philip had worked faithfully in Samaria and was taken to a quiet road in Gaza. He was possibly wondering why he had been taken from a busy area to a lonely road, but then this one individual was precious enough to deserve God’s divine action and his love to bring Philip to him to share the message and understanding of Scripture. It is hard to imagine the importance in the fact that God would have placed Jesus on the cross and allowed him to give his life for just one person, but here we get a glimpse.
God interacts in such a way as to take Philip to share with the enuch that he may be baptised. We do not learn whether the Holy Spirit came upon the eunuch but when Philip is taken away from him the eunuch obviously continues on his journey with reassurance and I am sure that God did not let his discipling end there!
I think the message of these passages for me is for us to be willing to study the Scripture and ask questions ourselves so that we are ready to speak to others when God opens the doors and provides opportunity. That we are prepared to share what we have learnt and walk alongside who ever God places us with.
God interacts in such a way as to take Philip to share with the enuch that he may be baptised. We do not learn whether the Holy Spirit came upon the eunuch but when Philip is taken away from him the eunuch obviously continues on his journey with reassurance and I am sure that God did not let his discipling end there!
I think the message of these passages for me is for us to be willing to study the Scripture and ask questions ourselves so that we are ready to speak to others when God opens the doors and provides opportunity. That we are prepared to share what we have learnt and walk alongside who ever God places us with.
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