“The Holy Spirit directs moving objects, so invite Him to direct your paths each day.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 11, 2024
There was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. Acts 16:13-15
The Holy Spirit is on the move to orchestrate events and circumstances to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Two giants of the Christian faith were Lydia and Paul, convened by the Lord in Philippi, one doing secular commerce of selling dye for clothing and the other on assignment for the gospel of God. While at a place of prayer where God was the focus and where Lydia was worshipping God, the Lord opened her heart to the beloved Son Jesus to become her Savior and Lord. So, in hearing the power of the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection for her sins, she believed, was baptized, and immediately offered hospitality to her new brothers and sisters in the Lord. Her home was a gathering of hospitality and worship to Jesus.
Like Lydia, a parent’s faithfulness can influence her entire family to follow God faithfully. Maybe your spouse seems distant and disinterested in faith or church attendance. Be patient. Be prayerful. The Holy Spirit is at work around you and your family. The Lord is navigating relationships and situations to bring influences into your and your spouse’s lives that point to God. I remember many years ago, my dad complained to me that everywhere he went, he seemed to meet Christians. Once, when he had a flat tire, a Jesus follower stopped to help, and a Ph.D. student at the seminary shared a cube next to him at work. I said, “Dad, there are Christians all around, and I have been praying you would meet some of the good ones, ha!” Seeds are being sown, sometimes when we are unaware. And our loving behavior is the best way to influence those we love the most toward their heavenly Father who loves them the best.
Your home is your laboratory to live out your Christianity. Use meal time around the table as a place of intimacy and worship with family and friends. Henri Nouwen describes special times around the meal table,
The table is the place of intimacy. Around the table, we discover each other. It’s the place where we pray. It’s the place where we ask: “How was your day?” It’s the place where we eat and drink together and say: “Come on, take some more!” It is the place of old and new stories. It is the place of smiles and tears. The table, too, is the place where distance is most painfully felt. It is the place where the children feel the tension between the parents, where brothers and sisters express their anger and jealousy, where accusations are made, and where plates and cups become instruments of violence. Around the table, we know whether there is friendship and community or hatred and division. Precisely because the table is the place of intimacy for all the members of the household, it is also the place where the absence of that intimacy is most painfully revealed.
Make table time experiences memories to be cherished.
Also, create intimate places for the Lord to convene those who know Him and for those who are seeking Him. The Holy Spirit directs moving objects, so invite Him to direct your paths each day. Along the way, introduce those you meet to Jesus Christ and to the opportunity of gathering in your home to see love lived out. Enjoy intimate relationships through prayer and hospitality.
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I praise you for meeting with me and others in places of prayer and hospitality through Christ’s love, and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Consider hosting a prayer gathering in your home for family and friends.
Related Reading
Genesis 24:48; Exodus 4:31; Psalm 98:3; Acts 16:25-34
Worship Resource
Elevation Worship feat. Chris Brown: Another One
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