A heart for hospitality

Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, worked hard at her trade. The Bible does not tell us much else about her except that she was a worshipper of God.

One day during their travels, Paul and his companions stopped to pray by the river outside the city gate of Philippi. They met a group of women there that included Lydia. She listened to Paul’s message and accepted Jesus. After Lydia was baptized, she insisted the men come home with her and be her guests. As was customary for a hostess, she likely prepared and served them food and gave them a place to rest and pray. She showed hospitality in the name of the Lord.

You can follow Lydia’s lead. Whether your home is small or large, you can choose to be hospitable. Invite a friend who needs a pick-me-up to join you for a meal during the week. Ask a single mom and her children to come over for a pizza and movie night. If elderly neighbors are unable to get out, take your hospitality to them! Bake them some cookies or take them flowers from your garden.

Father, give me a heart for hospitality.

May I always serve others in Your name. Amen. — Barbour Publishing Inc, 3-Minute Devotions for Women: 180 Inspirational Readings for Her Heart (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour, 2013).

We have just released a new Bible Study based on the first five chapters of John MacArthur’s book, Twelve Extraordinary Women. This study is based on the Life of Joseph, up until his promotion.

These lessons are available on Amazon, as well as a part of my Good Questions Have Groups Talking Subscription Service. Like Netflix for Bible Lessons, one low subscription gives you access to all our lessons–thousands of them. For a medium-sized church, lessons are as little as $10 per teacher per year.

Lessons include: