“And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go…And he arose and went…Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him…And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.” Acts 8:26-39 (bold added)
If you know the story of the apostle Philip, the angel of the Lord, and the eunuch in need of Christ, maybe you’ve heard the message I missed for years in reading the story. A message for us all – in eight words.
Arise.
Go.
Arose.
Went.
Go near.
Ran thither.
When God calls us on a mission, gives us an assignment, has something for us to do, wants to use us, has a calling for us, gives us a command, instructs us, gives us directions, reveals His will for us, has an errand for us to do for Him, gives us a job, etc., He wants us to ARISE from whatever we’re doing and get ready for our assignment. He tells us to GO to wherever and whomever He is sending us.
What did Philip do when God sent him to the eunuch? He AROSE and WENT. What did God tell Him next? To GO NEAR to the person in need. How did Philip respond? He RAN THITHER. He obeyed! He didn’t argue, debate, question, resist, hesitate, delay, procrastinate, rebel, disobey, run the other way, turn around, or sit back down from his arisen position. Nor did he simply lazily, slothfully, hesitatingly, halfheartedly meander over to the person in need. In submission and obedience to God, he RAN THITHER. The rest of the story is BEAUTIFUL, and I encourage you to read the whole of it in the Bible. The outcome is awesome. When Philip was done with his assignment for God, God’s Spirit took him away.
What should we do before God calls us to arise and go? Repent and believe in Christ as Lord. Ask for and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Study God’s Word and spend time with Him daily. Praise and worship Him continually. Seek, hear, and obey Him continually. Be ever more conformed to Christ. Be ready to ARISE and GO when He sends us on a mission. And, when He sends us, do what Philip did. Oh, if this could be said of us! That when God told us to ARISE and GO, we AROSE and WENT. When He told us to go near, we ran thither. That we have lived for Christ and have lived our lives in loving obedience to Him as Lord!