And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. (Acts 8:26-31)
Have you ever been in a situation when you didn’t know which way to turn, and suddenly, it was as if the heavens opened and God gave you clear directions? You may hear that still, small voice inside your heart giving you a specific instruction or you might just sense a pull to go one way. Many of those moments are God speaking to you through an angel.
If we want to benefit from the ministry of angels, we must be open to it. In Acts 8:26-31, Philip was part of a newly birthed, but flourishing, church. He began as a server of tables but developed into an evangelist who led a great revival in Samaria, but then an angel of the Lord told him to leave that successful work and go to the desert of Gaza.
I can imagine some preachers who would say, “Why should I leave Samaria? That can’t be right, God. I mean, look at the fame and success that is happening here.” But that’s not what Philip thought. He followed the prompting of the angel immediately. The angel didn’t tell him what was in Gaza or what he was going to do. He just gave him a direction.
You don’t need to know everything to obey immediately. To that desolate place, God brought a certain chariot with an influential man who needed to know about Jesus and Philip was there to tell him because he listened to angelic direction.
Practical Application
God still speaks to His people through angels today. Whether it’s a nudge in the right direction, or a revelation about an issue, God uses His messengers to guide us. Recently, I was wrestling with a decision and was unsure of which path to take. But in a moment of uncertainty, I heard God’s voice, probably through an angel. I knew then what to do.