2017-06-15 - Divine Appointments

Acts 8:29-31 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” ³⁰ Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Phillip is experiencing what my Pastor would call a Divine Appointment. A lot of people would hear this without the narrative and say it was a chance meeting. In this there is nothing left to chance. The gentleman sitting in the chariot is an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was a man of importance in the Ethiopian government who had come to Jerusalem to worship. This was not a chance meeting. This was planned, but not by either the Ethiopian or Phillip.

An angel of the Lord spoke to Phillip instructing him to go to a particular location. Phillip was obedient and went to the place he was told to go. There Phillip is told to go and meet the man in the chariot. Phillip asks the gentleman if he understand the passages in Isaiah he was reading and the Ethiopian asks Phillip to explain. The Ethiopian is led to faith in Jesus Christ and is baptized.

Two weeks ago I was getting my hair trimmed. A lady in the shop was talking to the lady who cuts my hair saying how she was frustrated with her church and was thinking about looking around for a new one. I told her how on Saturday night I would be looking forward to Sunday at my church and how much I look forward to going. She was intrigued and said she would consider visiting.

Sometimes you are part of the harvest. Other times you plant the seeds. Both are important. At times you are sent to the meeting. Other times the meeting comes to you.

Selah.

Lord - Just like Phillip we so rarely know when an appointment You have orchestrated will open up right in front of us. May we keep our ears open to Your still, small voice. If we respond that moment can becomes something very special. Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Mike

jmhoskins@gmail.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org
http://www.peacewithgod.com

All verses are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.