We live in a culture that worships success. Many are impressed with buildings and numbers. With this comes a pressure to keep looking successful. I remember some years ago, someone said to me, “Try to blow your record. This way you can quit living with the pressure of having a perfect record. ”Would you like the freedom to flow with God instead of living in the insecurity of needing to guard your success? May I share with you what God taught me?

Acts 8:5-7 reads: Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. NIV

Observe that Philip was part of an event that drew the crowds. If Philip were in secular America, he would get a raving performance review. It was in the midst of this kind of success that Acts 8:26 tells us, “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road-the desert road-that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

While on this desert road, Philip meets an Ethiopian eunuch and leads him to Jesus. Philip followed God to big crowds and small ones. Will you allow God to define success and be a vessel who is free to flow with Him into the future?

God moves in an orderly fashion. The timing of God’s marching orders for Philip to leave came after Acts 8:14 tells us that “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.” It was after Peter and John arrived that God released Philip for a different assignment. Have you been hesitant to leave even when God has raised up someone to fill in after you depart? Under the disguise of saying you are protecting the project, could it be that your self worth has come from the project and you are reluctant to relinquish your place of importance? Have you made yourself a prisoner of your success? Philip left immediately because his security was in God. What about you?

How freeing to know that we are simply vessels and God is ultimately responsible for His own projects. When we flow with Him, we can trust Him to cover all the bases. Peter and John were already stationed in Jerusalem when Philip received his release orders. I wonder today if you too have received your release orders? Are you lingering when God has already spoken the word, “Go!”

I pray this devotion encouraged you in a special way. When I pray for you, I “hear” a victory song. I believe in you because I believe in the power of God’s Word in you as you put His Word into action.

Love, Anita