Day Twenty-Four

So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed 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 16:11–15

Acts 16 places us by a river, in a quiet gathering of women who had come to pray. Paul and his companions sit down and speak. One woman listens closely. Scripture gives us language for the moment. “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14). Lydia’s conversion does not begin with an emotional spectacle. It begins with attention. God opens her heart, and she responds. Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth, a woman of means and influence. By society’s standards, her life was already full. Yet when grace arrives, it reorients what is already there and fills it with something new. God does not discard her story. He redeems it.

Conversion Is God’s Work Before It Is Ours. Luke is careful with his words. Lydia does not open her own heart. “The Lord opened her heart” (Acts 16:14). Faith is not something we generate through effort or intellect. Awareness itself is a gift. This truth keeps us humble. Repentance and belief are responses, not achievements.

I am reminded of Mary’s encounter with the angel in Luke 1. She is called “full of grace,” not because she performed, but because she received. In the same way, Lydia listens because God has already been at work beneath the surface of her life. Conversion still happens this way. Quietly. Personally. God opens the heart, and everything begins to change.

Baptism Marks a Public Reorientation. Lydia responds immediately. “She was baptized, and her household as well” (Acts 16:15). What begins internally moves outward. Baptism marks a public reorientation. Allegiance has shifted. Even her household is swept up in the wake of her faith. When God opens a heart, leadership takes on a new direction. Influence becomes gospel shaped.

Open Hearts Produce Open Homes. Then generosity follows. Lydia opens her home. “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay” (Acts 16:15). Hospitality becomes her first act of discipleship. The gospel takes up residence in her life, and her hands respond naturally. She offers space, provision, and herself. This is the pattern of grace. God opens the heart. As faith takes root, generosity becomes inevitable. That riverbank becomes the birthplace of a church. When God opens the heart, the hands follow. Where might God be inviting you to deeper attentiveness before asking you to act? How could an open heart reshape your use of influence, time, or resources this week?

Lord, open our hearts to Your grace, and let our lives respond with faithful obedience and generous love.

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