The sermon I heard yesterday focused on being "hopefully devoted" rather than "hopelessly devoted" as heard in a popular song of the late 70's.
What would it be like to live a life hopefully devoted to God? Keep coming back each day this week for some thoughts.
Lydia is one of the remarkable people in the Scriptures who became hopeful and devoted to God. Though Lydia lived a long time ago we can learn a lot of lessons from her story.
Read about Lydia in Acts 16: 6-40 (Go to Biblegateway here)
Lydia was someone I would have liked to have known and worked beside. Lydia seems strong and competent, warm, openhearted and caring. I would have learned a lot about priorities, prayer, worship, and keeping God first in a busy life. I would have learned as well about managing a thriving business, maintaining what must have been a huge home and (without hesitation), offering my home to a crowd of strangers.
As I read about Lydia the Fruit of the Spirit pops into my mind: The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5: 22 NIV). Lydia’s life is a remarkable example of someone living in the Spirit!
We are introduced to Lydia on the Sabbath at a gathering of women in prayer. There is no synagogue for worship in the city. The women gather for prayer and worship a little distance outside the city. They meet by the river under the open sky. I can imagine the women gathered in prayer discussing what they had heard about and read from the Scriptures. They probably recite many prayers together not realizing that this day will become very special for one of them.
It seems Lydia believes in and is a faithful worshiper of the one true God, but her mind has not yet been opened to the Good News. She doesn’t fully comprehend who it is she worships.
Paul, searching for a place to pray, sits down, and speaks to the group of women. As a result, Lydia experiences the joy of a brand new faith. She will never be the same.
The challenge I see coming through Lydia's story today is: to be in the right attitude with the right heart, open and ready to be used by God; to be hopeful in Christ and devoted to being right with God. This life lesson needs to be a focus of every day, not just on occasion.
Scripture for today: But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. (Luke 8:15 NIV)
Pray, ask God to open your heart and the heart of others who need to hear the message of hope found in the Good News. Ask God to help you be His messenger to people who need to hear and see Him. Thank God for people like Lydia, who teaches us the importance of being hopefully faithful in prayer and worship.
2 comments:
Very nicely worded. Lydia is truly a servant of God and a perfect peer for me to study. I love the visual of the women gathered outside and worshiping and praising God together in this setting. Very uplifting words for me today. Blessings on you ministry my very dear friend.
Oh, I loved envisioning women worshiping by the river also. Reminded me of many quiet times spent on the banks of the Scioto. You always bring sunshine to my day. Thanks for sharing and encouraging me on. It helps to know a heart was touched.
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