Small Beginnings

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”… Acts 8:26-29

You know this story. This is the story of how the Holy Spirit sent Philip way out of his way to a desert road, where he met an Ethiopian man and told him about Jesus. After baptizing him, Philip was taken by the Holy Spirit to a city far away. Most likely, he never saw that man again.

I wonder if Philip ever wondered about the man–how he was getting along, whether he had stayed faithful to Jesus, the Savior who died and rose again to give him life. Certainly, they had only had a short time for Philip to tell the man the story! Such a small, fragile beginning. How could Philip know that this man would go on to become the first seed of the Christian church in Ethiopia?

We, too, might sometimes look at the people we are caring for, helping them take their first steps in life in this country—and we wonder. Will our work mean anything in the end? It seems so tiny, so easily shattered! How can it produce any great fruit among these people we have come to love?

We are right to see our own smallness. But we trust in the greatness of God, who has loved us and sent Jesus to save us. And we believe that he will take the work we do, however humble, and bless it, so that many people will benefit—both in this world and the next.

Dear Lord, I’m not much, but you can use me. Bless me and all who serve, and all those who are served as well. Amen.

By Dr. Kari Vo