The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 24 January 2020 – TOPIC: WISE MEN STILL SEEK JESUS

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DATE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2020
TOPIC: WISE MEN STILL SEEK JESUS
READ: ACTS 8:26-40 (NKJV)

26. Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.
27. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
28. was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
29. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
30. So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31. And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
32. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer [is] silent, So He opened not His mouth.
33. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”
34. So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?”
35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
36. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, [here is] water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37. Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
38. So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
40. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

THE MESSAGE:

The Eunuch from Ethiopia was a man of great authority and the treasurer of Ethiopia; a public officer of great repute! He travelled all the way to Jerusalem to worship God and on his way back was reading the Book of the Prophet Isaiah with curiosity. For this man to have travelled such a long distance to worship God shows that he must have been a man of great devotion to God. Some people who live short distances or few kilometers to Churches fail on many occasions to attend Church services and activities for many flimsy excuses. Some who live short distances to the Church fail to attend services because they don’t want to trek. Service to God must take us costly devotion. If you fail to worship or serve God for flimsy reasons, then you are not a devoted Christian.

The Ethiopian Eunuch was not carried away by his greatness neither did his official busy schedule prevent him from going to worship God. In fact, he sought God with all his heart, just like Zacchaeus; and he found God. On your own part, if you cast away laziness, pride, excuses, and sin, and seek God with deep devotion, you will find Him. Philip obeyed God and went to where God sent him (verse 26). His obedience led to his being used by the Holy Spirit for conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch. If you obey God in all situations, He will use you for signs and wonders. Try this and see the benefits!

PRAYER: Use Hymn A&M 76 (verse 3) to ask God to make you serve Him with deep devotion.

Eastern sages at his cradle
Make oblations; rich and rare
See them give in deep devotion
Gold and Frankincense and Myrrh