K

“And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.” Acts 16:13. Paul was entering Philippi when he came upon a group of women praying at the edge of a river – a symbolic place of God’s flowing presence and power. A river is also a place for reflection and a reminder of the intimate connection we have to the Creator of all things. Last week was heavy, filled with an anger I’ve never felt and even a gut-wrenching sense of sorrow.

I imagine many of you reading this also felt that same heaviness blanket your heart, but one thing I can say with boldness and confidence is that there was no fear. The sorrow has become a catalyst for movement and action and the anger quickly turned into heartbreak for those who don’t call upon the Lord in times of crisis. If you keep reading the story of Lydia in Acts 16 you will discover that God moved upon her heart at that riverbank, and she received salvation to which her whole household was also saved and baptized by Paul. Her obedience led to the deliverance of her entire household – she went on to become the first European Christian who aided in planting churches we read about in the Bible. Lydia moved when she was called. She opened her home when the need was great. She shared her faith with boldness and confidence. Her journey didn’t end when she received salvation, it had actually just begun! On the cusps of all that happened in the natural on September 10th, were you also able to feel the shift of the supernatural? I pray you know what an incredible responsibility we each have on our lives to follow the calling we have been granted.

A calling to love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable, to show kindness in the midst of angst, to give when there’s nothing left, to share the gospel when the world screams for you to shut up, to stand in conviction when asked not to stand at all and to proclaim the Word of God over others even when the risk is great. We truly don’t have time to not be doing what God has designed us to do – don’t wait for someone else to step up. This is your time to shine a light and be a voice for the voiceless in your little part of the world. May you start in your own home slathering oily crosses on the doorframes and foreheads of your children, may you pray the blood of Jesus over the walls of your local schools, may you start a Bible study in your community… whatever it is, MOVE! Just as that river is constantly shifting and widening the channel through erosion, you too must keep flowing in the Holy Spirit. Are you carving out a riverbed that feeds your family, friends, and community?

Don’t wait for someone who “knows more Bible than you”, “goes to church”, “has it all together” to do it for you. If you are a follower of Christ, the time is now. The generation is now. Someone else’s miracle is just on the other side of your obedience – that alone should pierce your heart like never before. We don’t know when our last breath will be, but we can insure we live each day in the field sowing a seed for the Kingdom of Heaven. Take heart my friend, this world is not our home. Let’s do our part to make Heaven crowded!

That starts…. today. 

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Matthew 28:19.

Blessings,

Kayla