The River Winds: Walking by Faith Without Sight

Philip abandoned thriving work in populous Samaria at God's command, despatched to a lonely desert road with no explanation of his errand. Yet he 'obeyed at once,' unburdened by ignorance of his destination. Maclaren captures the paradox of faithful obedience: "It should be enough for us to see the next step. 'We walk by faith, not by sight,' for we none of us know what comes of our actions, and we get light as we go."

The preacher employs a luminous image: "The river on which we sail winds, and not till we round the nearest bend do we see the course beyond." This is not reckless abandonment but dependent obedience—keeping communications with the Almighty open, trusting His guidance unfolds progressively.

When Philip trudged the Gaza road, "he would have many a thought as to what he was to find there." Yet "an obedient heart is not long left perplexed." The mystery resolved itself: an Ethiopian eunuch, a full-blooded Gentile of high rank, studying Israel's prophets in solitude. Philip then faced a critical distinction—recognizing that the impulse to address this dignified stranger came from God's Spirit, not his own entrepreneurial ambition. Maclaren emphasizes: "Philip did not mistake a buzzing in his ears from the heating of his own heart for a divine voice."

The genius of this narrative is that obedience precedes understanding. God rewards faithful work with more work, but the faithful servant receives light progressively—one bend of the river at a time. This demands both surrender and discernment: we must distinguish the Spirit's whisper from our own desires.