A Heart Prepared, Opened, & Changed

In picking up from my last log, we find the Holy Spirit leading Paul and his missionary band to the city of Philippi. Paul’s method of evangelism was to first go to the Jewish synagogue of the city and reason with the Jewish congregation concerning the Scripture. In Thessalonica he spent three Sabbath days in the synagogue reasoning from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that Jesus was indeed the Messiah (Acts 17:2-3). In Berea he again proclaimed from the Scriptures in the synagogue and spent several days examining the Old Testament with the Jews as well as a number of Greeks (Acts 17:10-12). On his next visit to Athens, he used the same method - he first went to the synagogue and shared on the Sabbath, then spent several days in the town expounding on the Word and proclaiming that Jesus Christ was the Savior (Acts 17:16-17).

Backing up to his visit in Philippi, we assume that there was not a significant Jewish presence in the town for there was no synagogue; ten Jewish men were required to form a synagogue. On the Sabbath, he and his companions went outside the city along the Gangites River where he expected to find a place of prayer. A small group of women had gathered there for worship, some Jews and other probably proselytes. One of the women there was named Lydia, who sold purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a city known for its purple-dyed, woolen fabrics. The Lord opened her heart to Paul’s message and she became the first European convert to Christ along with her entire family.

I just love this simple story of redemption. Let me share some of my thoughts:

• A heart prepared - Lydia was a “worshiper of God” (Acts 16:14). This doesn’t mean that she was a believer in Christ, but she was probably a converted Jew. I imagine that she spent every Sabbath and other days down by the river in prayer and worship. She had a relationship with God and lived a life of complete devotion even before encountering the power of the gospel. The soil of her heart was prepared.
  
  
• A heart opened - Outside of the grace of God, how do we move toward God? He opens our eyes to the truth and empowers us to respond. He breaks open our hearts for the message of salvation. God works and we respond.
  
  
• A heart changed - For Lydia, her worship would take on a whole new meaning and purpose. No longer would she worship the God of a promised Messiah, but rather the God of a promised fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

As we are faithful in sharing the gospel within our community, our state, our nation, and world, may we by God’s grace continually find hearts that are prepared, opened, and ready to be changed for the glory of God.