Rise and go.

Acts 8:26-29, 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.

How many times have I refused the prompting of the Spirit, especially in a case like this where Philip is explicitly told to go away from the populated areas into the desert without any definite goal! I remember one time being thoroughly disgusted in working with a man who was in the process of coming to life in Christ and getting the gently word from the Holy Spirit, “I wonder what Paul would have done if he’d had the cell phone I gave you?” So despite my feelings I did call him and by the power of the spirit saw him come to life before he was suddenly taken home by liver cancer. Am I willing to arise and go in the direction the Spirit prompts me?

We put our trust in you to lead and guide us O Lord!

ESV Lectionary