Sixth Sunday in Easter: First Reading, Acts 16:9-15       

Acts 16:9-15

The gospel does its work. God’s Word does its work. Lydia is a target and our Lord doesn’t miss. His aim is impeccable. God had a woman in Philippi that he wanted all of us, all of history to know and her name was Lydia. Gifted, hard-working and a heart bent to the God of the Bible. She is called in our text a “worshiper of God,” which denotes that she had come under the proclamation of Yahweh, God of Israel. And though pagan by birth, she had encountered and embraced all she could up to that point. Enter Paul.

“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul.” Bam! Faith and a family baptism, the result of faithful proclamation. And who did the work? As always, the Lord. He grants clarity. He grants repentant faith. He saves from first to last. If you’re wavering. Look at Lydia and learn where it is she looked. Squarely at Jesus.