11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Observation – Passing Relationships – Permanent Relationships
Perry Sakai
Mien Covenant Church – New Gen Ministries – Sacramento CA
Observation: Entering a new ministry, a new region, a new city, and a new culture, Paul took time. Arriving at Philippi, Paul and his companions took time to stay there for several days. They took time to identify existing networks where God was already at work. They took time to sit down and talk with women outside the gate. This was no short term mission on a tight schedule. With eyes, ears, and hearts wide open they took time to observe where God had prepared their way, and they took time to go there.
Action: Today, I choose to step away from the tyranny of the urgent. Instead, I choose to take time to stay present, to sit, to talk, and to step into those divine encounters that God prepared for me.
God is saying to be more aware of opportunities to share the gospel. To be intentional each day for the people of peace that cross my path.