I love the Biblical story of Philip the Evangelist. On one occasion an angel of the Lord came and called him to do a great work.
“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road–the desert road–that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (Acts 8:26)
God told him to go and he went! That was Philip, always obeying God. Of course he had an angel to tell him what to do. It is easy for any of us to say that we would happily do what God tells us to do if an angel came and told us to do it. Maybe so, but Philip’s true greatness is not found in this verse but nineteen verses earlier in the same chapter.
“Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.” (Acts 8:6)
Philip was driven from Jerusalem because of persecution. Finding himself in Samaria he told people about Jesus. The Bible does not tell us that he had some vision in the night, angelic visit, or burning bush to tell him to serve God. Philip served because he was a servant.
Here is a great God principle: God uses people who show they are servants. God does not hunt for some person with plenty of time on their hands and nothing to do. He sent his angel to give a task to a busy man (8:26) who had already shown himself to be a servant.
God still works that way. If you want to do great things for God, start by doing the little things. Ministry does not start with a burning bush, but with a man or woman who is doing what can be done wherever he or she can do it.
Do what you can with what you have wherever you are. God will then use you for bigger things.
Lonnie Davis