DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD'S GUIDANCE TO THE DESERT
"Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, 'Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' This is desert." (Acts 8:26)
Have you ever experienced the prompting in your spirit to go, or not to go, to a certain place. I have. Often there is no apparent reason, but God knows. Call it intuition, but I believe it is God the Holy Spirit speaking to my own spirit.
Philip had a successful ministry in Samaria with wonderful things happening and a city being impacted with the Gospel. But God knew that there was a solitary person in the desert who needed to know about Jesus.
Perhaps Philip questioned, "Why, Lord, do you want me to go to the desert?" But as he went, he understood why. In the desert, he saw a chariot traveling on the road that was occupied by a man from Ethiopia who was reading the Holy Scriptures in Isaiah 53, the prophecy of Isaiah about the death of the Lord Jesus. So Philip explained what the Scripture meant. Beginning at this Scripture, he preached Jesus to him (vs. 34).
It pays to obey the promptings of the Lord in our spirits even when it does not make sense at the time. God has His purposes.
Sometimes, it may be to not go. I remember times when I planned to travel here or there, but felt that I should not go. Perhaps God kept me from having an automobile accident or some other unforeseen misfortune.
It is still true that, "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). Keeping a sensitive heart to the leading of the Lord will bring great blessing. God can work through us even in the desert.
Love, Dad
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