Daily Devotionals

Escaping Ordinary Week 8: Thursday

Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 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 8:31-32

The call to follow Jesus is ultimately a call to faith. We use the word faith very often. In fact, we use it so often that it loses its meaning. We think of faith as confidence in a particular result of a circumstance. In reality, faith is confidence in a person, the person of Jesus. This faith results from confidence in Jesus even when we do not fully understand.

Yesterday we spent the day looking at Philip’s obedience and faith. He was extraordinarily faithful and unwaveringly obedient to God when the Lord told him to get up and go to the desert road and then run from Jerusalem to Gaza (verse 26). He was not the only one who demonstrated great faith. You see, he met a man who also had great faith along the route God sent him on. The man was the treasurer for the queen of Ethiopia. This man was not taught about Jesus, but he was eager and trying to learn. He was reading verses from the book of Isaiah in Scripture (verse 31). It did not make sense to Him, but he was trying to learn (verse 32). This willingness to keep pursuing God and Scripture, even when he did not fully understand, shows his faith. God honored His faith by providing Philip to help answer his questions. 

You may have questions about your faith. You may have questions that you do not have answers to yet. Keep following. Keep pursuing God. You do not have to have all of the answers to follow. What you do need is the faith to keep seeking and pursuing Him. This is true for the people in your life who are far from God. Have a conversation with them this week that they do not have to have all of the answers to follow. They need faith. May you find rest and confidence in this truth today.

Moving toward action

Because of Philip’s faith and obedience, the Ethiopian in Acts 8 got a chance to understand God’s word. Take a few minutes to think about someone far from Christ who needs His hope. Pray for them right now. Pray for opportunities to tell them about what Jesus has done for them. Then, when opportunities come, be prepared to share with them the hope of Christ.

Going Deeper

Acts 8:21-31 (NLT)

"You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. 22 Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”

24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”

25 After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.

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."