Now an angel of the Lord said to Phillip, “Go south to the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to the chariot and stay near it.” (NIV)

Have you ever felt God leading you to do something? In my experience, to be honest, it’s confusing and sometimes frustrating. The story above really demonstrates why that is and shows how we can let God’s leading trump our own plans.  

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Let’s first set the scene: The eunuch was an important, brilliant guy (he could read). He had wealth, power, and influence. Unfortunately, we don’t know much about his life, but he achieved the position equivalent to our Secretary of the Treasury. He had to have risen to that position as a commoner. How do we know that? In ancient societies, to obtain such a standing without royal blood he would have had to become a eunuch. He would have been respected on the one hand and shunned/reviled by society on the other.  

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Despite all his achievements, something was missing. He made the long, dangerous journey to Jerusalem to worship. It would have been costly and taken a lot of time. Do you want to know something that’s not mentioned but very likely happened? He was likely turned away at the temple because eunuchs weren’t allowed to enter. Can you imagine the sting of that rejection? Can you imagine the depth of his despair as his expensive chariot rattled along, taking him back to an empty life?  

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In stepped Philip, led by God’s promptings. What does this story tell us about allowing God to lead?  

First, Philip had a close relationship with God, and he pursued God daily. It’s a lot easier to discern God’s will when we are dialed into God’s character through his Scripture and prayer.  

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Next, Philip didn’t wait to act until he had God’s entire plan. Reread the passage – he wasn’t given a clear set of directions, nor was he even told the end goal. By obeying God’s first prompt given through his angel (“go to the desert road”), he was given the privilege of receiving the next prompt (“go to the chariot”). That, for me, is the frustrating part. Give me a clear goal, and I’m all in, but the faith-inducing ambiguity is challenging.  

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When Philip approached the chariot, he listened to God’s prompting and obeyed God’s voice instead of society’s. Society told him not to associate with Gentiles and certainly not with eunuchs. When the Spirit gave him the direction, though, he acted without hesitating. God’s will trumped society’s list that said, “You shouldn’t do that.”  

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Finally, Philip trusted God. That may sound simplistic, but sometimes none of the instructions we receive will make sense because we don’t see what’s under the surface. Philip didn’t know that one of the most important officials in Ethiopia was likely in the midst of a crisis and ready for the Gospel. He simply acted when God led him and trusted God to take care of the rest.  

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I don’t know about you, but I aspire to be as receptive and bold about following God’s leading as Phillip was. He didn’t know the end goal; he didn’t know that God would use his witness to impact Ethiopia. He just obeyed. How much could God do through us if we follow his lead in the same way?  

Father, I pray that we hear your voice and obey. Whether you make your will unmistakably clear or through the quiet prompting in our hearts, I pray that you would give us the wisdom to hear you and the courage obey. Amen.