[Acts 8:26-38 KJV] “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.”
“And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And like a lamb dumb before his shearer, So opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: And who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth.”
“And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”
I want to encourage you to slow down a bit in life and take a pause from the pressures of life. God wants to help, but many of us are spending too fast.
The Ethiopian eunuch was having a hard time understanding what he was reading; he had had a beautiful religious experience but he had not received a genuine encounter with truth and Jesus yet.
Many of us are sitting in chariots and cruising fast towards Ethiopia and away from Salem. I believe the time has come for us to command whoever is pulling the strings and driving us to stop. You are the captain of your chariot. You have the utmost power to stop the chariot and do what matters. Make hay while the sun shines!
Please, pause and take a listen! Many of us are too far conceited; we don’t read, listen, or watch. Every one of us must position ourselves to receive the fullness of grace. What is the wisdom of the Ethiopian?
1. Attend the service irrespective of the distance:
He travelled to experience God. He travelled from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to worship. The distance was not a barrier. He wanted it so he went for it. He gave it a shot. If you can’t come in person, join online.
2. Read through what was taught:
He read through what he was taught. He read the Bible and Christian literature, though he did not understand. You must spend time in the Word.
3. Make room for a teacher in your life:
He desired the man God sent to sit with him. Are you ready to offer me a seat with you? Are willing and ready to listen and do
4. Make things right when you received the truth;
He commanded the chariot to stop when he found faith in God and what was being read. Do you act on what you believe?
Stay blessed
