An angel appears to Philip and he hears the Spirit speak to him. Both Giving him clear instructions as to what he had to do. He had to go to the Desert road,( A desert road yuh say inno, ) he wasnt told why he had to go, save and except to go and then he went.I don't think this would have been the most frequented road of those used in Israel...I could be wrong so I'll defer to the Israelites (THose people who visited Israel lat year)
Along the way he met this guy riding along in a chariot, obviously an important official, chariots weren't exactly the average mode of travel, that's like have a bicycle/P2 as opposed to a Lamborgini. Then of all the instructions he gets next, comes from God's Spirit, to go to the chariot and to stay near it.....I'm assuming the pace a chariot is going at isn't exactly walking pace. He has to run. That's like running up to Colm Imbert's government vehicle and running alongside it like some kind of Special branch policeman. The Eunuch may have had bodyguards and a "driver", I could imagine how strange Philip may have looked doing this, yet he obeyed the instruction
Connecting to God and listening for His voice.
A couple of things here.
- How did Philip become privy to receiving these kind of instructions.
- What humility in light of the strangeness of them that he obeyed and it seems almost unquestioningly.
- How did Philip become privy. I think he was totally connected to God and living a life full of the Spirit. Philip is listed as one of the Seven in Act 6. Seven brothers who were known to be full of the Spirit and Wisdom. Galatians 5:13-26. I've been reading the emotionally healthy church and I believe there are a lot of parallels between what we see here for Phiilip and the principles expounded in this book. The basic Thesis dtatement of the book is that its impossible to grow spiritually unless we grow emotionally. It will be difficult o go too deeply into it now. But I will just outline the general steps that the book outlines for growth in emotional health. 1. Get beneath the surface. 2. Look into your past. 3. Being broken and vulnerable. 4. Set limits. 5. Embrace grieving and loss. 6. Make incarnation your model for living well. 7. Lead with INtehrity
- Philip, because He was so totally connected( Spiritually, Physically, emotionally) to God, the strangeness of the instructions did not matter. He was willing to follow God's wisdom rather than men any time.
Illustration _ John Newton. The writer of the famous Hymn Amazing Grace. Was one of the most profane and debauchrous men of his time. He was a slave trader profiting off the misery of others. God had to bring Him low several times before he truly connected to God....read word document. I believe John Newton had to emotionally connect with who he was and how fallen He was before God, how weak and needy he was of God , very similar to Philip , ...an we too must go through these processes to hear God speak to us, to connect with Him so that we can know what is true both intelectually and emotionally.
Spend the time to reflect and to connect in all areas of your being to God, so that He can clearly direct you where He wants you to go and you can follow willingly, because you are filled with His love as you connect with Him deeply.