Who is God after?

Acts 8:26-27 (NIV) Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”).

We strategize. 

If we (by “we”, I mean me and anyone like me) are forming a band, we look for the best available musicians. If we are organizing a sporting team, we try to persuade skilled, advanced players. In lots of different situations, the people we want in our “team”, whatever the event or endeavor, we tend to consider the skills and abilities we most need or aspire to, or even the influence a person may have on others, as a potential stepping stone to success.

Does God strategize?

If he does, what does he consider?

I ask this question as I skim over the story of the Ethiopian eunuch.

Why would God send Philip to him?

What was special about this man, was his influence in Ethiopia the reason for God sending Philip specifically in such a miraculous way?

Does God even need to organize these “chance” meetings?

The point I want to make is that 1. We should not strategize, or at least we should not be considering the “outward appearance” of a person. By this I don’t just mean their athleticism, or high standing in a particular field. God looks at the heart. We cannot look at the heart as God does. But we can follow God’s lead, as Philip did.

God chooses the least; the least appealing, the least educated, the least influential, as well as others.

Being an Ethiopian eunuch sounds a bit marginal to me. Yet God sent Philip to him.

We don’t have to give any ulterior motive to God for this move. His merciful love towards someone who genuinely wanted to worship and understand the scriptures was more than enough, from my reading. And I believe that this still applies today. He does not need a particular leader in a nation in order to achieve his purposes, he even hardens some leaders in order to show his mercy more powerfully to his beloved.

We don’t have to be special for God to send his loving-kindness in our direction. His love for us is beyond our understanding, and is not dependent on our behaviour, abilities, or influence, but a contrite heart he will not despise.

So in our desire to share the truth of Jesus, his powerful forgiveness for all that was won on the cross, let us go with the leading of the Holy Spirit, which is not within our ability to predict or control, we simply follow humbly, always being ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us. And God will make those chance meetings happen.

God’s strategy is not our strategy.

His strategy is love-strategy.

 For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life.