When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said.
- Acts 8:6

In today’s passage Philip journeys through Samaria and performs a series of miracles: healing the sick and casting out demons. His ministry transformed lives, families and communities. But his ministry went beyond the miracles.

For Philip the miracles pointed to a reality beyond and above the miracles. He wanted people to receive more than healing and liberation. He wanted them to receive the good news about Jesus, to believe, and to experience new life with him.

The signs served to lend credibility and opportunity to the messenger. People paid attention to Philip because they saw the healings and exorcisms. The miracles earned him a hearing.

We encounter signs of God’s ongoing work and power in our daily lives. God is at work every time we see the gospel link people together across racial, generational, political, and socioeconomic lines. God’s power is on display every time we pray for someone and see them healed. These truly are miracles.

What do we do when we see God’s power and his work?

Today’s passage shows us two wonderful responses when we experience a miracle: speak up and pay close attention.

Speak up and point to Jesus. He restores relationships and creates common ground. He heals. We can wish these miracles happened more often, but that needn’t keep us from leveraging the curiosity created by these incidents to talk with people about our Savior.

And pay close attention. We live in a world full of unnoticed miracles. We’re like a man walking on a street papered with money wishing he could afford a meal. We would be able to live more boldly and more joyfully if we were only more aware of what God is doing in our midst.

How can you speak up today? How can you pay closer attention today?