Are you doing things based on past experience, or are you allowing yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit?
Perhaps you are sensing a leading to do something new or be somewhere else, but you are afraid because it feels so unfamiliar and almost impossible.
The apostle Philip was led to do something new. He had a thriving ministry in the villages of the Samaritans. He could have chosen to stay and play shepherd to his congregation, but he wasn’t disobedient to God’s instruction.
“They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the Good News to many villages of the Samaritans. But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert.” He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship. He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.”” (Acts 8:25-29 WEB)
Philip took a leap of faith and journeyed into the desert. God led him to meet a eunuch who was the royal treasurer serving Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. This eunuch was studying the Scriptures. Only God can cause you to be at the right place at the right time like that.
Philip had the chance to share the Gospel to him, and the eunuch received Jesus as Lord by faith, and was water baptized. Phillip’s ministry went international, and we can imagine that the eunuch went back to Ethiopia and grew God’s kingdom there too.
Being Spirit-led will lead you to experience growth like you’ve never seen before because God will give you the opportunity of a lifetime, to put you in front of people that you will never have the chance to meet if you miss the timeframe. Those who can help you and who can be greatly useful to God.
Being Spirit-led can also protect you from suffering unnecessary harm.
“When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them, and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.” (Acts 27:9-11 WEB)
The centurion listened to the ship owner, trusting human experience more than a prompting from the Holy Spirit as shared by Paul.
No matter how well your knowledge and technique served you in a past season, don’t place your confidence in them. A new season requires fresh grace and new ways of doing things as led by the Holy Spirit. Be willing to follow Him into uncharted waters and you will realize the great plans God has in store for you!
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