Today Daily Devotional

“If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.”
— Acts 16:15

The door of our church can be opened by pressing a “Push to Open” plate, and on Sunday mornings a greeter stands there to welcome people coming in. As they approach, he delightedly pushes the button to open the door, and there are lots of smiles as a conversation begins. Before they even enter the building, people feel welcome. His deliberate actions make the atmosphere inviting for so many people. Lydia knew how to open the door of her home to others. Her insistence to Paul and his companions showed that she was someone who understood hospitality. An echo from Luke 10:5-9 shows up here: when you find a person of peace (someone who is open to God’s love and the work of his kingdom) stay there, hang out, and work together. When we do that, the kingdom of God comes near. When we emulate the posture and actions of Jesus, we lean into what it means to share together the good news of life with him. What does hospitality look like to you? Are you a door opener? Are you ready to share the good news with someone who is looking for a way to spread the story to others? A prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi begins, “Lord, make me a channel of your peace . . .”—and this can be paraphrased to say, “Lord, let me be a person of peace who invites someone in your name.”

Dear God, thank you for each person you bring into our lives to engage with. Thank you for the opportunity to share your story. Amen.

There was great joy in that city.
— Acts 8:8

Our reading today describes a great persecution against the church of Jesus and how people like Philip responded. Saul (also known as Paul) was convinced he was doing the right thing, even at the cost of many lives. His actions caused the church to scatter to other places, and Philip was one who decided to move out from Jerusalem to preach the good news of Jesus elsewhere. Philip recalibrated his spiritual radar and went to a city in Samaria, some 40 miles (64 km) away. The idea of taking on a new direction turned into a wonderful opportunity. When the people in that city saw the impact of the gospel, they too followed in the way of Jesus. There may be times in our lives when we too may need to recalibrate our direction. If our situation is showing signs of heading the wrong way, we need to ask where God is leading us. Through prayer and seeking God’s will, we may be able to discern a new choice and see what could be achieved if we try something new. It can be a wonderful opportunity to see the gospel spread into areas we hadn’t thought about. When our local church purchased an old bar that had been known for ungodly activities, God showed up. People who might not have had a chance to hear the gospel or who felt like they couldn’t belong became followers of Jesus. More people of peace became part of God’s family and shared his love with others. In what areas do you need to recalibrate?

Lord, help us to see new opportunities and areas where we can share your love and grace. Amen.

Greet also the church that meets at their house.
— Romans 16:5

Paul was a traveling preacher on mission for the Lord Jesus, and Priscilla and Aquila welcomed him to stay and work with them (see Acts 18). They knew the importance of the gospel and were willing to do what it took to help share God’s love in their community. Priscilla and Aquila offered genuine hospitality and were not afraid to open their home to others so that the good news of Jesus could be preached. And when Paul greets many of his friends in Romans 16, he calls on them to greet the church that met in Priscilla and Aquila’s home. We need to pay attention when God gives us people to share with. They might be tired and worn out, needing rest and a listening ear, or they might be eager and needing direction for something God has been preparing them to do. Not long ago, at an event where I was speaking, an older woman came up to me and said, with a twinkle in her eye, “It’s your fault.” I wasn’t sure what she meant, but she explained that at another gathering about a year earlier, I had told a story that had inspired her. She then began opening her home for a weekly Bible study that is now blossoming in her neighborhood. I am not sure if she would consider herself a person of peace, but I suspect that Jesus does. In what ways have you been encouraged to step out and risk doing something new for the sake of the gospel? 

Thank you, God, for opportunities to show hospitality and to share your love with others. Help us to be a voice of encouragement to all. Amen

The jailer . . . was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
— Acts 16:34

It wasn’t a place they would have chosen to stay for the night. Yet God chose a prison cell to be the place where Paul and Silas would share the gospel. And they were determined, despite the situation, to praise and honor God. So in the middle of the night they prayed and sang hymns to God. Then, suddenly, a great earthquake shook the prison, opened all the doors, and broke everyone’s chains! Next the story gets even more interesting. The jailer “was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’” Amazed and trembling, the jailer asked Paul and Silas about the God they served. He invited them into his house, and his whole household heard the story of Jesus. The jailer shared food and cared for them as Jesus became the center of conversation. And the whole household came to believe in God. Recently a team of volunteers was helping people clean up after a hurricane and flooding. They entered a house where a woman had not received any help and had lost hope. As they came and helped, her outlook changed. The hands and feet of Jesus were now ministering to her and others in her community. And the team was able to share the story of Jesus with them, even in the midst of their loss. How can you share the peace and love of God with someone who is struggling? 

Dear God, help us to connect with you. And where people are struggling, help us to bring hope through your message of love and peace. Amen.

While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.
— Acts 10:27

She walked to church regularly on Sunday mornings, and on one occasion she saw a most unlikely character. He was barely sober and headed to the liquor store. Though she might easily have ignored him, on that morning she felt she needed to invite this man to church. She suggested that he come with her the rest of the way and enjoy both a service and a coffee. He accepted her invitation and came through the doors. Many years earlier this man had heard the story of Jesus, and on that morning it all came back to him and filled his heart. He soon began attending worship services regularly. He also began coming in to help clean the building, and he made coffee for anyone who came through the doors. Often, when he was standing on the front steps, he began to invite others in. When someone asked him, “What is this place?” he explained that it was the church. The door began to open more frequently because of his invitations. And Jesus became real to many of the people who came in because of this man’s invitations. Cornelius the centurion was a believer who was not Jewish— yet God chose to connect him and Peter to make the story of the gospel bigger. Cornelius filled his home with people who wanted to hear more— and Peter, inspired and led by a dream, shared the good news of Jesus. Whom might your unlikely person of peace be?

Dear God, help us to see each person as one of your dear children. May we respond faithfully when you call on us to share. In Jesus, Amen.