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. (Acts 16:14, NIV)
Frankly, the passage is shocking.
The woman, Lydia, was already a worshiper of God. The One God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not a false god, you see. God.
And yet upon the words of Paul and the Lord’s provocation, she opened her heart and believed. She was baptized and changed.
Can I just say this: I want to know what was in Paul’s message!
It is as though I have been playing often with a golfing companion who loves the game and is a pleasure to hang out with. But he is not so very good. Then he shows up one day with a broad smile and a whole new game. He makes birdies and pars more than bogeys and doubles. I ask him, “What’s going on?” And he says to me, “Met a guy last week who gave me some real insight into the game, things I didn’t understand before—or even know were there. It’s changed the way I play completely.” Of course I’m going to want to know what the guy told him!
The impossible weight of slavish righteousness has been lifted from our shoulders. Jesus has taken it away!Well, there is no mystery in discovering the message of Paul. It was the same message he was teaching everywhere he went. Mainly this: Messiah, the promised Savior, has come. His name is Jesus, and here is his story… Then Paul would outline the details of Jesus’ life, death, and ascension, as well as the details of his own encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Finally, he would end with a bit of theology: “You know what this means, don’t you? It means that the impossible weight of slavish righteousness has been lifted from our shoulders. Jesus has taken it away! We are free! Free to love him and serve him out of thanksgiving and wonder!”
That’s quite a message. Likely, if you are reading these words, you have responded to it in your own heart and life. But we must recognize two more things in our study today.
Notice these words: “…the Lord opened her heart to respond…” This means, first, that not all will respond. Some will hear and turn away. This should be our greatest source of grief as followers of Jesus. Like God, we should desire that all would be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4), even the worst of sinners. And we should be saddened when they simply will not respond to the message and offer of salvation.
But those words mean something more as well: not only does salvation come from God through Jesus, but so also does our accepting response to the offer of salvation. God not only saves us, he prepares us to be saved. The only correct response to such a realization is deep humility. God rules my heart. It is a heart that neither beats nor believes without him.
—
Jeff Hopper
Originally published May 12, 2011
Copyright 2011 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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