Day 6 – The Exchange: 21 Days of Spiritual Swaps

This morning, I came before God with a bit of a blank slate.

Then I read a story in the bible about an evangelist called Philip, who follows God’s word and preaches the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8: 26-40.)

In the story, an angel of the Lord appears to Philip and says

“Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.

Acts 8:26, ESV.

When Philip gets to the place, as instructed, the spirit of God gives Philip new instructions:

And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

Acts 8: 29, ESV.

Philip gets in the chariot and he is met with an opportunity to tell the Ethiopian eunuch about Jesus. The Ethiopian asked to be baptized by Philip and then this happens…

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. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Acts 8:39-40, ESV.

The spirit of God literally transports Philip away from the eunuch onto his next mission.

It struck me that when you give God a blank slate, He calls you to a great, miraculous adventure.

And I found myself realising – the spirit of God will carry you away to your next adventure, if you let him.

Maybe you are tempted to wallow in self-pity today?

God doesn’t want you to dwell on your past mistakes, but He wants you to focus on your future.

Maybe you are bored, lonely and fed up of living ground hog day?

We are supposed to live an exciting life with God, one that is full of excitement, miracles and wonder.

Maybe you used to be a dreamer but, for whatever reason, you don’t have any plans for your future?

Give God your blank slate today, ask Him to write your next great adventure. Your next testimony of His goodness. Your next crazy miracle, done only by His hand.

Earlier this afternoon, I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts, and the host was interviewing a children’s author.

The author was talking about how she came to write one of her best-selling books. She commented that she was a new parent at the time of writing. As a new parent, she felt bewildered as to how to look after her child. So, she used that experience to write a children’s book about training a dragon!

I love how creativity comes with every new experience we face. A blank slate, or a new chapter of life can be something unordinary and wonderful. Nothing to fear, but a thing to embrace.

So, let God inspire you today. Let Him take your blank slate and swap it for His wonder, His creativity and His new adventures that await.

Nothing is impossible for God. If the spirit of God can carry someone to a new location, He can carry you to your next dream.

Dare to ask Him what the next six months have in store for you.

Dare to let Him write the script.

Dare to do something totally different that absolutely glorifies God.

Action Points:

• When was the last time you let God make plans for you? Surrender the rest of the year to Him. Offer it up in prayer. Just say “God, have your way.” Expect the spirit of God to speak to you, bring an idea to mind or bring a new opportunity about. Be obedient when it comes.
• Do you believe that God can still do miracles today? Does the thought of Him carrying someone to another destination challenge you? Journal your thoughts.
• Is God calling you to do something that hasn’t been seen before? Be honest with yourself.