16:14 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. 15 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.
Sometimes I think we have it too easy. This morning a message
was waiting for me on my phone asking if I had been fully reimbursed yet for
our expenses for a speaking engagement I had earlier this month. Paul, Silas,
and Timothy got no such messages. Traveling costs money now and it cost money
then. Lodging and food cost money now and it cost money then. These men had no
salary and neither were their expenses covered. They literally survived on
faith. When Jesus was training the disciples for ministry He addressed the
practical side of things. He told them when they entered a town to rely on the
hospitality of someone in that town and if no one received them they were to
keep on moving.
It takes faith to not know where you will lay down at night
or where your next meal will come from. It really takes faith to go so far in
your travels that there isn't even a local synagogue. Who would support them?
When they ask around and find out a handful of Jews meet for prayer by the
river they go. When they arrive they share the good news about Jesus to a small
group of women. How could they expect food and lodging from them? It seemed
impractical, inappropriate, and impossible.
We are not given all the financial details of how their basic
needs were met on a daily basis but clearly they were. In this particular case
we know a successful Asian business woman persuaded them to stay with her.
In a nutshell it goes like this: If we are doing God's will
and following His lead He will provide. It's one of His names - Jehovah Jireh -
The Lord Will Provide.
We walk by faith and not by sight. Our circumstances are
different today but our need to trust Him remains the same. We may not have the
same financial pressures they had but there are time pressures and balancing
competing demands etc... In all of the practical pressures and needs of our
lives we can trust Him and He will provide. Never be afraid to follow Him. It's
the only safe path.
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