Read: Acts 8:26–40

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”. . . Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to the chariot and join it.” . . . The Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; . . . Philip found himself at Azotus. Acts 8:26, 29, 39–40

The Spirit of God leads us and guides us if we are open to Its movement. The Holy Spirit of God will set us on the course God wants us to be on, if we are receptive to Its leading. As a man who steeped himself in prayer, in the study of scripture, and in the discipline of listening for God in his life, Philip was able to be moved by the Spirit of God. God took Philip and placed him where God wanted him to be.

We spend a lot of time envisioning the life we want to lead. What job will we do? What career path will we take? What community will we live in? These are important, and frankly, exciting questions to both ask and answer. But we often engage these questions without asking for God’s input. It is as if we do not trust in the Lord’s ability to lead us. And yet, when we defer to God’s direction, our lives are richer, more meaningful, and can have a greater impact than we could ever have imagined. When in the lead, God also has a way of taking us to very interesting and wonderfully unlikely destinations!

Where could God take you if you yielded to God’s direction?

Lord, I want to trust that if I follow, You will lead me. In fact, I suspect that my life would be more meaningful and more interesting if I yielded to Your guidance. Why do I assume I need to make my own way in the world? Why do I insist on always taking the initiative? Scripture attests that if I wait on You, You will open the doors You want me to walk through and close the doors that would take me down paths that are unwise for me to travel. Lord, I so dearly want You to take a leading role in my life. Help me to follow. In your name, I pray. AMEN.