I have really been blessed by the teachings and testimonies of others these past few days. The reoccurring message that keeps pressing on my heart has been "Walk this way, and trust Me." One statement was made that rang so loud and true to me: "I can travel halfway across the world, but I won't walk 10 feet in obedience to the Spirit's leading." When I heard that, I felt like I took a blow to the chest. So often, I can come up with a million reasons why I don't want to approach somebody, start up a conversation, and steer it to deeper things. It's so easy to find distractions in our life in hopes that



maybe we can ignore the tugging at our heart to do or say something that we're not always comfortable with.

One passage that I've never spent much time on but I hear referenced a lot is the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. I've always been familiar with the story and I frequently hear verse 36 quoted after someone has been 'dunked'. However, I've neglected to really stop and smell the roses of this small story that speaks volumes of the great things that the Father can do when we walk in obedience--even when it seems like He's leading us down a dead end road with no opportunities.

What if you're walking along and you feel the Father leading you to walk down this road? Maybe this photo is a bit dramatic, but it's the picture I always have in my mind when I read about Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-40). It wouldn't have been hard for me to come up with a reason not to walk this way. "Um, that's a desert road..." Enough said, right? Thankfully, Philip gives us a much better example to follow.

After Philip is told by an angel to go down a road that I imagine to be like the picture above, he doesn't once ask "Why?" or show any indication of doubt. He had no idea what was going to take place on this road. He simply rose and went. Unlike Philip, we don't have angels that appear to us and inform us which way we should go. But, we can be confident that the Father will guide those who sincerely desire to follow Him.

With Philip's obedience, the purpose of his journey down this desert road is quickly revealed. Lo and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, taking a break from his travels, and reading a passage from scripture. Sometimes the Father doesn't reveal to us the next step of His plan until we are willing to take the first step. 

Philip is then instructed to go and join the man. This is the part I would have really had trouble with. "Wait, you want me to go up to this person I don't even know, out here in the middle of nowhere? I'm sorry...I just don't know if I can do that." I would then begin my series of 'what-ifs'. Again, let's all be thankful that Philip is a much better example. He runs over to the man. What an eager beaver...

I think that Matthew Henry puts it so well in regards to approaching strangers...

"Of those whom we know nothing else we know this, that they have souls."

We can have a thousand reasons not to do something and those can all be cancelled out by this simple statement: they have souls. What more do we need to know about someone? What other reason do we need to approach a person that we may or may not know and share the Good News with them?

To sum up the rest of the story (though I highly recommend reading the whole thing in your spare time), the eunuch openly admits his weakness to Philip, in that, he doesn't understand what he is reading. He invites Philip to sit in his chariot and asks him to explain the scriptures. Beginning with what the eunuch was reading, Philip is able to share with him the message of J-sus! All this took place on a road that looked barren, on a path that seemed to have no chance of opportunity.


"Walk this way, and trust Me."