Acts 8:26-29 – As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage." (NLT)

The passage goes on to tell how Philip began with Isaiah and told the eunuch the good news of Jesus. The action verb in this passage that stands out to me is "Go".

Most of us probably do not feel that we have ever been directed by an angel to go anywhere. Yet, in all our going somewhere and doing something, the real challenge is whether what are we doing as we are going is to bring God glory.

A fellow resident, only a few months younger than I am, recently shared with me that when she was 13, she was with her mother in their Scottish home preparing dinner during a storm. A lightning strike came through the window, hitting and instantly killing her mother. I had never heard of such an occurrence.

As Wanda shared that experience with me, she also said that she felt that God had kept her alive to help others. Through the years, she has done so, and now, more than seven decades later, she is continuing to be a help and blessing through her kind deeds.

She shared with me a little saying by K. McCarthy that has guided her through the years:

Be careful of the words you say
To keep them soft and sweet
You never know from day to day
Which ones you will have to eat.

In addition, she referenced the last two lines of "What tomorrow may bring" by Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959).

What is going to happen you never can guess,
But it's worth while to hang on and see.

One of my favourite songs was written by Miriam M. Richards (1911-1989): "Just Where He Needs Me".

What can I do to justify my living?
What can I do to make this life worthwhile?
I'll be a voice to call men to the Saviour,
Just where I am, and win my Father's smile.

Just where He needs me, my Lord has placed me,
Just where He needs me, there would I be!
And since He found me, by love He's bound me
To serve Him joyfully.

Every day, I learn something new. I urge you to join me in striving to be receptive to God's direction, whether from the voice of an angel or just in a simple nudge from God to "go".

Prayer: Dear Father, we are constantly amazed at the opportunities that You give us to serve You through loving others. Keep us faithful. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Vincent Walter <vwalter@bell.net>
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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