Recognizing the will of God – Part 16

Exercising the virtues of faith and obedience

Bible Reading: Acts 8:26-40

In June 2005, God gave me an instruction concerning something he wanted me to do in 2007. By my own projections, I felt it would be too early to make that move and I tried to express my fears. But He said, first obey what I’ve said and after that you will see why it is necessary and you will get to know the next step to take.

Sometimes the way God leads us is similar to driving a car in the dark with your headlamp on. You are able to see only about 100 meters clearly. It is after you’ve moved further that you can then see the next 100 meters. However, some believers do not like it that way. They want to know every tiny detail of what will happen to them from now till they leave this world. But God will always give us the privilege of acting by faith, believing in his ever-present support even when we have no definite word about the end result.

Sometimes God reveals something that will happen in the far future and it is left for you to take steps of faith daily in order to get there. When He led the Israelites out ofEgypt, the best they knew was that they were heading to a promise land. They were not aware of the red sea, the drought, or how they would react when they meet other nations on their way.

Other times, God tells you the next step to take to a destination you may not be fully aware about. A typical example is shown in the verses below (Acts 8:26-30 – MSG)

“… God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road … He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

Phillip had to pass through a series of obeying God’s leading till he got to the point where he knew exactly what God wanted him to do. Verse 35 says “Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him”. God will always present us with the privilege of exercising the virtues of faith and obedience even as we desire to recognize the will of God.

– tope aladenusi