Monday, July 18 – Acts 8:26-29

But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get ready and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he got ready and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”

In the summertime, when school is out and the weather is nice, the calendar can get pretty full. If we are honest, a lot of our lives are organized this way—going from event to event and work project to work project. As the saying goes, “We have places we need to go and people we need to see.” When we think this way, it becomes easy to think of people or inconveniences as interruptions on our way.

But when the Lord directed Philip, there was a margin in his life to say yes. He did not list the things he needed to do or the people he needed to see, but instead saw God’s direction as an opportunity to join in His kingdom work. What are some excuses you give God in situations like these? Would you be afraid to go somewhere without the plans spelled out for you? Would you be nervous to speak up when God called you to join the group and start a conversation? Philip was not a super-Christian; he was simply a follower of Jesus who took God at His Word and trusted that God would equip him in everything He called him to do.

Today and every day you can see the moments God calls you to a random conversation or an unexpected delay as an opportunity to love and pour into those around you. Like Philip, God is directing your life; He has people you can love and serve around you. Are you listening to His direction, or are you distracted by the next thing on your to-do list?

• What is something God is prompting you toward today?
• What would it look like to keep your eyes open to the opportunities God has placed around you?
• Pray and ask God to open your eyes to someone you can share His hope with.