Scripture
18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. 19“Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”
20But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! 21You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. 22Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23for 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!”
25After 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.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south[1] down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
Translation notes (1)
- 8:26 Or Go at noon.
As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
One thing that is sure to keep us from taking extraordinary adventures is a desire to hold on to comfort. Now, being comfortable is not necessarily a bad thing. Still, if being comfortable becomes our primary focus, we will miss out on the incredible opportunities Christ invites us to participate in. To live extraordinary lives, we must be willing to leave what is comfortable to follow God’s direction. We have to choose obedience when He calls.
In our Bible study yesterday, we left off with Philip, one of the leaders in the early church, going to Samaria and spreading the message of Jesus with the people there. We read in Acts 8:26 that one day an angel of the Lord came and said, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” God called him, once again, out of what had become comfortable to him with very little instruction. He did not know why God called him to leave or what to expect when he left. With very little instruction, Philip left and obeyed (verse 27).
Philip’s obedience in Acts 8 was extraordinary. He did not ask questions or for more details. He heard His command from God and obeyed. What an incredible example for us to follow! May we, too, have this kind of obedience when God asks us to do something. As we will see in our study tomorrow, obedience always costs something, and the cost is always worth it.
Moving toward action
Take a few minutes to think about your life. Is there something you know God has been calling you to do, but you have been avoiding? Acknowledge this to the Lord and ask Him for the courage to obey. Then, take a step toward obedience today.
Going Deeper
Acts 8:18-26 (NLT)
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