Devotion:
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Read Acts 8:26-38.
I notice how, early in the passage, Philip immediately followed the angel’s instruction to go from the place in which he was ministering to the road leading to Gaza. The object of his call became clear as he approached the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch. A chariot large enough for someone to sit in and to have room for a passenger would have been the limousine of that day. Our thinking that the eunuch was probably wealthy is reinforced by the fact that he owned a scroll of Isaiah. Scrolls were hand-copied and very expensive in those days. The eunuch would have been known as a “God-fearer,” a Gentile who believed in God. At the temple in Jerusalem, his being a Gentile and his being a eunuch would have been barriers preventing his entrance to full worship.
This resonates with his asking Philip what might stand in the way of his being baptized. While wealthy and powerful, he had grown accustomed to things standing in his way to God. Philip responded by baptizing the eunuch. Philip sets a wonderful example for us…he responded to God’s call, he helped an outsider understand the Good News, and he welcomed him into the faith. We are called to do likewise!
Personal Worship Option:
Please pray with me: Gracious God, help me to see the outsider. Give me the courage to come alongside someone who does not yet know you, to build a genuine relationship with them, and then to let them know about the Good News and how it enriches my life. Amen.
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