the Fourth Week after Easter
Click here to join the effort!
Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 4 of 5
Acts 16:1-15
Paul finds himself again at Derbe and at Lystra where assemblies had been formed at the time of his first visit. We here make the acquaintance of the young Timothy, whose name means "honoured by God". He had been brought up in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures by a devout mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:15) – a blessed preparation for the service which henceforth he would perform with the apostle – "as a son with the father he hath served with me in the gospel" (Philippians 2:22). The "we" from v. 10 onwards shows that Luk, the author of this book, is now with them. By looking at a map, it may be seen that after having tried to go to the left into the province of Asia (the region of Ephesus), then to the right into Bithynia, the apostle and his companions were called by the Spirit to go straight forward into Macedonia on the other side of the Aegean Sea. In the presence of closed doors, the obedient servant must guard against persisting and wait for guidance from on high.
Philippi is then the first European town to hear the Gospel, and the first conversion mentioned is that of Lydia. The Lord had opened her heart so that she would be attentive. Let us ask Him to open our hearts also and to keep us from all distractions each time the Word is presented to us.
