Do I Belong?

Welcome to today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread devotional.

I'm Mike Whippen and I titled our reading, Do I Belong? Actress Sally Field finally felt what we all long for. When she won a second Oscar in 1985, she exclaimed in her acceptance speech, I've wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time, I didn't feel it. But this time, I feel it. And I can't deny the fact that you like me.

Right now, you like me. In Acts chapter 8, an Ethiopian eunuch was also amazed by his acceptance. As a gentile and as a eunuch, he was denied entrance into the temple's inner courts. Yet he yearned to be included. Philip found him returning from another unsatisfying pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Ethiopian man was reading Isaiah, which promised that eunuchs who hold fast to my covenant will receive within my temple and its walls a memorial and an everlasting name.

How could this be? Then Philip told him the good news about Jesus. And the man responded, Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized? He was asking, Am I really allowed in?

Do I belong? Philip baptized him as a sign that Jesus had bulldozed every barrier. Jesus embraces and unites everyone who turns from sin and puts their trust in Him. The man went on his way rejoicing.

He finally and fully belonged. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Acts chapter 8, verses 29 through 39. The Spirit told Philip, Go to that chariot and stay near it. Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. Do you understand what you are reading? Philip asked.

How can I, he said, unless someone explains it to me. So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of scripture the eunuch was reading. He was led like a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb before its shearer is silent. So he did not open his mouth.

In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth. The eunuch asked Philip, Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else? Then Philip began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road they came to some water and the eunuch said, Look, here is water.

What can stand in the way of my being baptized? And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water the spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away and the eunuch did not see him again but went on his way rejoicing. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, we belong with your Father and his family because we belong to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening. My name is Mike Whitmer and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.