Wednesday, January 4, 2023

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

Acts 8:26-29

Before we move further into the text, it’s important to note that we are leaving a church era where everything was based on strengths. We have valued and coveted positions, power, wealth, and knowledge. Prosperity theology has coached us into thinking that the more of these strengths we had, the more pleased God was with us. Weakness, brokenness, and pain were things to be covered up. But pain has purpose. Paul cries that we get to know God through our struggles. He says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering. James says that trouble does a work in us in perfecting our faith. Paul says in Romans 5 that tribulation works patience and patience, experience and experience, hope. Though we try to evade trouble, there is something about it that makes eternity in us sweeter and brighter.

This Ethiopian eunuch finds himself in a place where he looked successful on the outside (an important official who oversaw the Queen’s treasury), but I believe he was broken on the inside. The Word of the Lord says in verse 26 that God told Philip to rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. Then it says, this is a desert place. Now, in this place, he would find an Ethiopian eunuch who was a court official to the queen. Some theologians suggest that this man was a descendent of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Despite the reason he was worshipping in Jerusalem, he found himself returning from worship seated in his chariot, reading from the Prophet Isaiah. In verse 29, the Spirit tells Philip to go to that chariot.

PRAYER: Lord of peace, teach me to embrace my pain, issues, and problems so that they thrust me at the foot of the cross. Let me walk in authenticity, embracing whom you have allowed me to be. I run to you in all that you have created me to be. In the name of Jesus, I thank and praise you. Amen