Verse of the Day 4/10

Through the Bible - 1 Samuel 7-9, Luke 13:22-35

Good morning,
Over the last few days we've seen the hand of God at work in the intimate details in the lives of Naomi, Ruth, and Samuel. They reveal the sovereignty of God while pointing out the importance of prayer in those "intimate details". God is in control.
This thinking flies in the face of many people today who would be more inclined to think like Ernest Henley in his poem "Invictus".

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

For today's verse we'll go to the book of Acts, chapter 8 where Philip is instructed by an angel of the Lord to head south where he runs into an Etheopian who just happens to be reading the book of Isaiah.
Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, NKJV
Martyn Lloyd - Jones comments, "the Authorized version says "arise, go towards the south" but an alternate translation reads "arise, and go about noon..." Of course, there is no contradiction because at noon the sun is in the south. But interestingly the only other place where this Greek word is used in the New Testament is in this same book of Acts, in 22:6, and there it is translated "about noon", and I believe it is the right translation here.
What is the point ? Asks somebody.
It is this: if Philip had gone down an hour earlier or an hour later, he would never have met this Etheopian eunuch at al. But God knows everything. There were two roads that went down from Jerusalem to Gaza in the south; but God knew which of the two the man would be travelling on, and He knew the exact time that would lead to his meeting this man who was seeking salvation."
The meeting between these two men was not by chance. God sent His servant at a critical moment so that this wonderful thing would happen to this man who was "seeking salvation".
Who do you think was "captain of his soul"? Who is the Captain of yours? What "chance" circumstances brought you to where you are today?
In Christ,
Mike
Acts 8:26-9:1
Christ Is Preached to an Ethiopian(cf. Isa 53:7,8)
26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot."
30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
"He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,So He opened not His mouth. 33 In His h umiliation His justice was taken away,And who will declare His generation?For His life is taken from the earth."
34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"
37 Then Philip said,"If you believe with all your heart, you may."
And he answered and said,"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the ci ties till he came to Caesarea.

NKJV