LYDIA

In Acts 16:14-15, we have an account of one woman who was in the right place, at the right time, with the right heart, and with the right attitude. God can do amazing things through men and women who are prepared to seek Him, to follow Him, and to be obedient to His will.

In this passage, we see how the Holy Spirit guides Paul to Philippi and guides him to one particular woman - Lydia. That's challenging - am I, are you, the right woman, in the right place, at the right time, with the right heart and with the right attitude - ready for God to use?

I really like Lydia, because she was the first Christian convert in Europe – a Greek young lady, Amen! Although Lydia is only mentioned in Acts 16, we can put together a really neat profile:

1. She was a dealer in purple cloth, and as such was probably wealthy. Our passage says the members of her household were baptized along with her, so she might have had servants, and certainly had relatives living with her. Purple cloth was valuable and expensive. It was claimed to be worth its weight in silver. It was usually worn as a sign of nobility or royalty, which gives a new significance to the passage in Mark 15:17 where we read that the soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus, then twisted together a crown of thorns as they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!"
2. She worshiped God, although, at that point she may not have met the true God, Jesus Christ. However, we know that she responded to the gospel, and got baptized. She probably won her household to the Lord too, which is why we read that they too were baptized;
3. She was a woman of prayer. She went to prayer meeting (v13);
4. She listened and was eager to learn;
5. She was obedient to the doctrine of baptism;
6. She wanted to serve, and remained faithful to the Lord;
7. She had a love for the saints of God;
8. She opened her home and was hospitable, which leads to my last point;
9. Through her the door was opened for ministry in that region. She was a key person in the establishment of the church in Philippi. Philippi was the key city in the region of Macedonia (Northern Greece).

The result of Lydia's conversion led to the first church in Philippi. The church met in Lydia's house. We know this because of verse 40:

~And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. Acts 16:40

This was after the famous story of Paul and Silas in prison and their miraculous deliverance which led to the jailor’s, and his household’s, salvation. Isn’t it great that when Paul and Silas were finally set free, they had a place to go to – the house of Lydia.

It really is a remarkable story. We have an incredible account of a lady who met the Lord Jesus Christ and remained faithful to Him and to His people. Now that the Lord has given my mom and I a new home, my prayer is that the Lord turns our house into “the house of Lydia”, where Christian brothers and sisters can fellowship here and call this place their home too.