Random Purpose

Jaden and I were reading in Acts 8 yesterday, the story of Phillip’s meeting with the Ethiopian Eunuch. I was impressed again by this story’s randomness that clearly reflects God’s hand.

First, Phillip is “led by the Spirit” to travel from Jerusalem to Gaza. He’s not on a business trip, or traveling to see friends, or returning home. He just receives a prompt from God to get up and travel and that’s exactly what he does.

Secondly, the Ethiopian eunuch had traveled all the way from Ethiopia to worship a God in Jerusalem that he did not really know. Now here he is traveling back to his home country poring over Scripture on the way. And of all passages to be reading, he is pondering Isaiah 53 the prophecy of the suffering Savior! What are the odds–barring God’s hand–that he would find a disciple on the road home to explain these Scriptures and lead him to Christ. It seems to me that the eunuch might have run into one of the apostles while in Jerusalem, or stumbled upon one of Peter’s out-door evangelistic campaigns. But instead, God allowed him to worship in Jerusalem, completely miss the apostles, but run into one on the lonely road home!

So often, we think that God is a God of order and organization; therefore, anything that comes form His hand must also be organized. Inefficiency just could not be a part of His plan. We forget that God’s idea of order is not necessarily the same as, or even similar to ours. Sometimes He works in ways that to us appear completely random, even, dare I say, wasteful of resources. God’s flare for the unusual occasionally embarrasses us, rather than inspiring us as it should. And sometimes we unfortunately miss random opportunities to make much of Him, because we are too busy planning, organizing, and being orderly.


2 Responses to "Random Purpose"

  • Well said, friend. I think one of the greatest blessings of having lived cross-culturally is getting a small glimpse of how true this is. May we be open to His work, no matter the form it takes!
    Love you, sorry I don’t comment much, but i do read and enjoy every post, as well as pray for you!!

    1 Shilo said this (February 27, 2012 at 3:17 pm) Reply


  • I love your last paragraph! His ways are far above our ways, His thoughts above our thoughts…of course His organization would be far beyond our scope and understanding, but I never thought of it that way before. Interesting how we try so hard to fit God into our little “boxes” of understanding, blown away when He works powerfully and unmistakably outside of them. Thank you for this post and for getting me thinking outside my own comfortable little box today. 🙂

    2 Cindee Snider Re said this (February 27, 2012 at 3:43 pm) Reply


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