I have always found it very
meaningful to hear the stories of how people came to Jesus. It was in hearing those stories over 50 years
ago at a church event called lay witness mission that was an important part of
my our own salvation story.
A few months ago, I heard a friend share their story. They were trying to get a ride from
California to their hometown in the northeastern U.S. to spend Thanksgiving
with their family. She had advertised for a cross-country ride,
and Wally answered her ad. While she
was an unbeliever, Wally was a new Christ follower. When you ride for 4 days across country, you
have a lot of time to talk with someone.
Wally talked and told her about Jesus.
When she asked questions, Wally invited her to look at the Bible and
some other Christian books in the back seat. Though she did not make a commitment to
Christ on the trip, it was the beginning of her journey to give her life to
Christ. After she made a Christian
commitment and was baptized, Wally told her why he offered her a ride across
country: because God told him.
In Acts 8, we hear the story of a man named Philip. While God told Wally to offer a ride to a
young woman across the country and tell her about Jesus, God simply tells
Philip to go to a chariot and tell him about Jesus. Read these words from Acts 8:
26 Now
an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert
road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he
started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a] 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, 28 and
on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the
prophet. 29 The Spirit
told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30 Then
Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do
you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How
can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to
come up and sit with him.
If you are a follower of Christ, you
have a story to tell of what Christ has done and is doing in your life just
like Wally and Philip. Who does God
want you to tell that story to? Have a
joy-filled week.- Pastor Randy Wall
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, for what
you have done and are doing in my life.
Give me wisdom and courage, Lord, to share that story with others in word and deed; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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