By Lisa Wilmore
Scripture Reading (Acts 16: 11-15):…On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
My Dear Friends,
It is a blessing to bask in the fact that we have an everlasting, eternal and endless Savior who resides in our hearts forever. What joy we have in knowing that we have a Savior who loves us unconditionally. AMAZING!
I am particularly excited about this week’s message because it reveals how we should respond when the Lord opens our hearts to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. I often ask my Sunday School class, “What is the Gospel?” Of course, their response, “The gospel is the message of Jesus Christ-the ‘good news’ of His suffering, dying, and resurrection from the dead.”
Excitingly, many years ago, the Lord opened my heart while sitting in my living room looking out of the window. During this time the windows were dressed in burgundy curtains. I was reading my Bible with a friend on the phone and suddenly, the burgundy curtain became like green grass. All I could see was this beautiful green pasture. Wow! In that moment, God illuminated the understanding of what He had done for me and others. I was overwhelmed! I Immediately shared the gospel message with my two daughters. My oldest daughter said, “Mama, that’s a good story.” She then called a friend and shared it with her, and they both basked in the gospel message. Thank you, God, for opening our hearts.
The gospel is what Paul preached about in the aforementioned Text that appealed to the “opened” heart of Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, but more importantly, a worshipper of the Lord. This woman, Lydia, along with other women, was praying by a river where Paul and others sought out to pray as well. During this encounter, Paul apparently preached about Jesus and the Lord opened Lydia’s heart to receive and respond to Paul’s message. Not only did she respond but she led her family to respond as well. They were all baptized.
How did you respond when God opened your heart to receive the gospel message-the message of Jesus Christ? Did you share with your family and friends giving them an opportunity to believe as well? Since God has opened our hearts to hear and receive His message, we must respond by sharing.
