Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”
Acts 8:26-29 ESV
The story of Philip and the Ethiopian is one of the richest stories in the book of Acts because it’s about a regular guy like you and me. It’s not about the acts of an apostle, it’s about a refugee deacon from Jerusalem. We have no record that he was called to Samaria, he just ran there to avoid persecution, but he saw the opportunity to preach the gospel. In the midst of his Samaritan adventure, an angel spoke to him to go out into the desert. There he encountered this fellow and his fancy ride.
You know the rest of the story (if you don’t, read it in Acts 8). He obeyed the Holy Spirit (apparently he knew the voice), and the Ethiopian was saved and baptized. Philip was translated miles away and ended up in Caesarea. We tend to read miraculous stories in the Bible and say to ourselves, “Oh, that was Jesus,” or “That was an apostle.” In this case, however, it was a man who served tables in the local assembly. He ran for his life, saw an opportunity, and started revivals that touched nations. God loves regular people.
As we head to church today, how about we tune in to the Holy Spirit, get to know that voice. There may be opportunities to hitch a ride on someone’s chariot, or at least sit and have a cup of coffee for a minute. Miracles may ensue. During your work week, be alert. Opportunities abound. God uses ordinary people in the midst of their daily do. God uses people like you. Regular people can do remarkable things.
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