The Master One-Upper

“So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.” Acts 8:35 (NLT)

The Gospel was on the move, not because things were easy, but because God was using everything, even persecution, for His purpose. The early believers were being scattered, but they didn’t run empty-handed. They carried the message of Jesus everywhere they went. What the enemy meant for harm; God used to spark revival. Cities were filled with joy. Lives were being changed. Hope was rising.

Philip was one of those faithful messengers. In the middle of all the chaos, God set up a divine appointment with a man riding in a chariot on a dusty road. An Ethiopian official was reading the words of Isaiah, hungry for truth but unsure of what it all meant. So God placed Philip right there at the exact moment he was needed. Philip explained the Gospel, the man believed, and right there in the desert, he was baptized. One moment changed his eternity.

This wasn’t just a random encounter. God was finishing something He had started long ago. Ethiopia was the land of the Queen of Sheba, who had once traveled to hear the wisdom of Solomon and left worshiping the God of Israel. Now, centuries later, God was making sure that same nation received the full message of Jesus.

That is the kind of God we serve. The Master One-Upper. Every time the enemy tries to steal, God brings restoration. Every time there’s opposition, God brings breakthrough. He is always one step ahead. Always writing a better ending.

So if life feels like it’s pressing in right now, take heart. Your Heavenly Father is not just responding. He is redeeming. He always has the final word.

Reflection Question: Where in your life do you need to trust that God is already working ahead of the enemy’s plans?

Prayer: Father, thank You for always being ahead of the curve. You see what I cannot, and You work all things for good. Help me trust that You are moving, even when I do not understand. You truly are the Master One-Upper. In Jesus’ name, amen.