Read Acts 8:26-40

Life change is an invitation away.

This is one of my favorite values of Grace Church. If you really think about it, the Gospel message is all about invitation; Jesus inviting us to live in freedom and spend eternity with Him by accepting the free gift of salvation He offers to us by belief in His life, death, and resurrection from the grave. The passage we read today highlights for us the power of invitation, the power of God to use inconspicuous moments for eternal impact, and how saying “yes” to the nudging of the Spirit can help play a part in changing someone’s life.

I cannot help but put myself in the shoes of Phillip in this story. After all, he could have been anyone of us. Going about his normal day-to-day business and suddenly sensing God calling him to make a move or have a conversation. You know that thought or sense you get when you are prompted to “go talk with that person” or “go visit this place.” Rather than saying “no”, and writing the feeling off as something he had just cooked up in his head, Phillip said “yes”. That “yes” and the work of the Spirit in the Eunuch’s life had eternal significance. There is something so beautiful in the simplicity of this passage. God using His messengers to share His love, and witnessing the life change of the Gospel before our eyes.

As you are reading this devotional today, I am sure each of us can recall “the invitation” that helped play a part in our salvation story. For some, it might have been a friend inviting you to come to church one Sunday, or a colleague inviting you to a Christmas service, or, if you are like me, the enticement of a free lunch after service with your grandparents. No matter your invitation story, I think we can all agree it played a part in the most important decision of your life.

I wonder today who God might be calling you to invite. Whose story He wants you to be a part of. Would you join me in praying today that God would allow us to play a role in someone’s life like Phillip was to the Eunuch?

Friends, life change truly is an invitation away. The power of the Gospel never ceases to amaze me.

Taylor Bennington