“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Rise and go toward the south …’ This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian. … 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.’ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. … Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.“
(Acts 8:26-31, 35-36, 38-39 ESV)
Look at all the trouble God went to in order to save this one single man! God sends an angel to tell Philip what to do. Then Philip walks forever just to be there when the Ethiopian man comes along in his chariot, reading the Bible and not understanding it. Philip knows that the passage he’s reading is talking about Jesus and His death on the cross; and so he explains the whole thing to him. Then the man believes in Jesus, Philip baptizes him, and the Holy Spirit carries Philip away to another city. Mission accomplished.
By my count, that’s one angel, one apostle, one miracle, and a lot of walking—all to save a single man. Surely there was an easier way to do this!
And yet … And yet, if God had chosen a less extravagant way to save this man, would we understand the value God set on him? We with our penny-pinching ways, we might say “It’s not worth it.” Not God.
So what about us? What did it take to get you into God’s family as a saved and forgiven child of God? Well, let’s count. It took dozens of Old Testament prophets, preparing the way for Jesus to come. It took 12 apostles, because Jesus taught them and sent them out so the good news of the Gospel would reach you. It took any number of angels supporting their work. It took who knows how many pastors and teachers and parents, passing on the story of Jesus. It took Jesus Himself—God in the flesh, God become a Man, so that He could come after you, His lost one, and bring you home to Himself. It took His suffering and death, so that you could be forgiven and cleansed and remade. It took His resurrection from the dead—a resurrection you will share, when Jesus returns and calls you and all His people to His side forever.
This is the value God sets on you. This is what you are worth to Him.
We Pray: Lord, if I matter that much to You, set my heart on You to love You above all things. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on April 23, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. How do most people decide who’s valuable and who’s not?
2. Who is valuable to God?
3. How do you feel, knowing how much you matter to God?