Saturday within the Octave of the Feast of the Holy Trinity
Posted on June 10, 2023 by under
Scripture: Acts 16:9-15 (NKJV)
16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 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. 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.
Devotion
In Acts, Luke tells us that St. Paul and his company had not planned to go to Macedonia. But God revealed to them in a dream that they should go, and thus the congregation of the saints in Philippi was founded.
Our logic and experience would sometimes suggest that our labor in mission fields might better be spent elsewhere, or in other ways. But had not Paul and his company come to Philippi, who would have preached to Lydia and her household? And not only were she and her household baptized, she persuaded Paul to stay longer, and they then had opportunity to preach to the Philippian jailer, who was also baptized with his whole household. Paul would later write his epistle to this Philippian congregation, and to us; a great comfort and source of joy to them and to all Christians until Christ comes again in glory.
This is a reminder that it is God’s Word, not our word; and God’s Word is for all people in all places. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to create and sustain faith through that Word; God calls us to proclaim it faithfully throughout the world. May He give us strength, wisdom, and courage to do so!
Prayer: Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech Thee, that Thou wouldest keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities; Who livest and reignest, One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
