Acts Chapter 16: Verse 13-14 (NLT)
On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.
When they got to Philippi, we read that Paul and Silas went out of the city on the Sabbath and went to the river, where they expected to find a prayer meeting. I don’t know how they found out about it, whether it was from people in the Synagogue, or from the Holy Spirit Himself, but perhaps its not where we would expect people to gather together to seek God. And in the spirit of freedom that comes through believing in Jesus, Paul and Silas shared the Gospel with a group of women. That would have been unheard of in earlier times. But at least one woman believed in the message and became a Christian.
Sometimes God will move in a way, or in a place that we don’t expect. It wont always be in a church or place of worship, but wherever there is a gathering of people who are seeking to know God. We need to be prepared to go where the Holy Spirit leads us, and speak to whoever He tells us to, even if it’s someone we wouldn’t normally expect to cross paths with.
Dear Lord,
Thank You that You choose to move wherever there are people who are hungry to know You. Help me to expect the unexpected if I want to be of use to You. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.