Just Do It- Kyle Thorp
- on 08.17.10
- Bible
- 2 Comments
Kyle Thorp is back again with a post before he heads off to his sophomore year at Grove City College.
Philip and the Ethiopian Acts 8:26-40
“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road–the desert road– that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” I have personally never experienced God giving me such direct orders before nor do I know anyone who has, but I think there’s a lot we can learn from this story anyway. The thing to note is Philip’s response to God’s direction. The scripture doesn’t record any hesitation or questioning of what he should do. It merely says “So he started out.”
I have a hard time with this passage because I never just “start out.” I always have to rationalize what I’m doing. When God tells us to do something, the last thing he wants is for us to say “Ok, God. Let me think about that one and get back to you.”
Sometimes it is hard to believe that we are truly hearing from God especially if God does not reveal to us why he wants us to do something. Remember, Philip didn’t know why God wanted him to travel the road to Gaza, but that didn’t stop him from obeying. What happened next? Along the way, he ran into a man traveling from Jerusalem to his home in Ethiopia. The man needed someone to explain a passage of Scripture right at the moment that Philip was passing by. Through the conversation that the two men had, the Ethiopian decided to convert to Christianity. It was a powerful, important, God-orcehstrated experiece.
It would be wrong to miss an opportunity like this because God’s commands didn’t seem logical to us. Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith and obey, trusting in God’s perfect will. We have to set out on our way and then be ready for whatever God has planned for us.
It may not end the way we expected. After baptizing the Ethiopian, Philip was suddenly borne away to another place. That is exactly the way a Christian’s life should look. We don’t know what God has in store from one day to the next, but we confidently step up to each task God gives us. So whenever you believe that God is telling you to do something, don’t hesitate, don’t rationalize, just do it.
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How did you get so wise already? I absolutely agree. And a corollary to this is; if you have to rationalize your actions, maybe you should reconsider whose direction you’re following…
I agree. Kyle has a lot to say…