The Lord opened her heart

And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us. – Acts 16.13-15

As Paul sailed to Macedonia he sailed into the port city of Philippi. Just outside the city a riverside prayer meeting was taking place. They sat down to talk to the women who were meeting there. These were clearly women who were seeking God and God says that those who seek Him will find Him.

One of the women was a merchant named Lydia. Being a ‘seller of purple’ she was most probably quite wealthy as purple dyes were very expensive. As she listened her heart was stirred because ‘the Lord opened her heart to hear what Paul was saying. Her heeding clearly led to her salvation because she and her household were baptised and begged the preachers to come and stay in her villa.

The key here os the phrase ‘the Lord opened her heart’ because it reminds us that salvation does not happen apart from God working on a heart. If we don’t go they won’t hear so we have to go, but only God can take our words and opened a heart. Because it is God working we need not panic because we ‘don’t know what to say.’ Because God is a work He can take our stumbling words and and open hearts to His message.

We need to go and heed God’s call. We need to speak up. And we need to let Him open the heart.