An Open Heart and an Open Home
My dear son,
I am glad you want to listen this morning. Open your heart as Lydia did when she listened carefully to Paul beside the river. You may begin simply by telling me you want to hear well. That desire is welcome.
Bring the love you receive into your ordinary life. After her baptism, Lydia offered the visitors a place to stay. You can welcome people within your own circumstances too. Hospitality does not always require elaborate preparation.
Pause other activities while someone speaks, and give them your attention. Offer a seat and ask kindly how they are. May the joy of hearing my word become a heart ready to welcome another person.
With all my love,
Your Father
Acts 16:13–15
WEB13On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
14A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.
15When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
A short reflection
The Lord opens Lydia's heart to Paul's message. After baptism, she invites Paul and his companions to stay in her home.
World English Bible (WEB) · Public DomainRead the chapter