Lydia was a saleslady with only one product for sale. Her customers were not ordinary people like you and me. They were very special people, like kings and queens, who wore very beautiful clothes.
Can you guess what Lydia sold? It was beautiful purple cloth, and it was very expensive. Somewhere in that part of the world, down under the shallow water, were sea snails with shells that could be ground into a very precious purple dye. When this dye was used for dyeing cloth, it had a deep, purple shine. Only rich people could afford to buy this special purple cloth and have it made into beautiful clothing. She had a successful business selling her purple cloth.
Lydia worshipped the one true God, and she had a hungry heart to know more about Him. She lived in the city of Philippi where there was a regular prayer meeting down by the riverside, and you may be sure that Lydia was always there. The followers of God in Philippi knew very little about Him, but they worshipped the Lord God just the same.
One day the Apostle Paul came to Philippi, because God sent him there. It did not take long for him to find the little prayer meeting by the riverside. Of course, Lydia was there, and when she heard his message, the Lord opened her heart to receive it. This was the message she longed for, that Jesus was the Saviour of sinners. She did not have to go far to the water to be baptized to that wonderful Saviour, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And her household was baptized too. It was a Christian household now.
She said to Paul, If you believe that I am faithful to the Lord, would you and Silas come to my house and stay with us? It didn’t take her long to show kindness to other believers, did it? I’m sure Paul was glad to say yes, and I’m sure she was happy to know that he and his companion Silas were spending the days on the streets of Philippi, telling the good news of salvation through Christ Jesus to everyone.
Some of the people on the street were afraid they would lose money by what Paul and Silas were doing, and they did not receive them with joy, but with anger. In fact, they were downright furious! They dragged Paul and Silas to the marketplace where they beat them. The beating was cruel and painful.
Throw them into prison, the angry men shouted, and make sure they don’t get out! The jailer thought the worst dungeon was good enough for such men, and he chained them up, even putting their feet in stocks. Then he locked the prison doors and went to sleep.
I wonder if Lydia knew all this. If she did, you and I can guess what she did—she would have been praying for Paul and Silas.
She felt the earthquake at midnight, and the jailer did too. He was sure the prisoners had all escaped, and he felt he had no choice but to kill himself. Then suddenly he heard a voice calling to him, Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!
This was a power greater than prison doors and locks! An earthquake might be a natural disaster, but this came from the man whom he had thrown in there the night before. Who could do such a thing—stay and not run for freedom? The jailer called for a light and sprang into the prison and brought Paul and Silas out and asked, What must I do to be saved?
Do you know the answer? Perhaps you can repeat it: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). But is it deep in your heart? Is Jesus really your Lord and Saviour?
The jailer believed in God along with everyone in his house, and he didn’t take long to show that he was truly saved. He brought Paul and Silas home to his house and washed their bleeding wounds. Then he gave them food to eat and was baptized along with his household.
In the morning, Paul and Silas were not only let go, but the officers begged them to leave. They went first to the Christian brethren, and I’m sure that included Lydia. They comforted those who had been troubled about how they had been treated, and then they departed.
Would you like to meet Lydia in heaven? If you have the same Saviour, you will certainly meet her there. Maybe Lydia found that her belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour was bad for business, but if we have the unsearchable riches of Christ, what does it matter?
You may read this story for yourself in Acts 16.
ML-06/30/2013