Holy Spirit help me testify to the unfolding of God’s Mercy…

 
Acts 16, 11-34 & 1 Peter 3: 15-18

 
As a dealer in purple cloth Lydia of Thyatira was used to gradually revealing the beauty and strength of her yard goods deliberately, without haste.  I wonder how many times she unfurled a piece of beautiful material from a roll of cloth, or unfolded a swatch of fabric, making comments such as: Notice how tightly this is woven – now look at the edges how even they are; this piece will give you many years of service. Or, Notice the drape of this fine linen – it flows in even a slight breeze. Or perhaps she said, The embroidery is very rich on this section – see the surprising selection of colours and how carefully the threads are knotted on the back and intertwined on the top; this is pure gold thread from Ophir – and this is silk thread from the Orient. Like Lydia, the Spirit of Christ Jesus unfurls and unfolds the lengths of his Father’s mercy to his disciples,  both when he was alive on earth, through his Resurrection and Ascension into heaven and still now by the movement of His Holy Spirit in our lives. As much as they paid (we pay) attention, Jesus showed the Apostles how beauty-full and service-able the mantle of God’s Mercy has been through the ages and still was then in the 1st Century A.D., even now in this day and age. After Paul and Silas had visited with Lydia and her friends down by the river, and spent a few days with them, teaching them the Good News of  Jesus’ death and resurrection, Paul and Silas were attacked by a crowd of non-believers in the city of Philippi – and need God’s mercy even more when they were thrown into jail. The Apostles could have descended into despair shackled as they were in fetters in an innermost jail cell, in abhorrent prison conditions, perceiving that the mantle of God’s mercy had ripped and was neither strong nor beautiful.  Instead, while they were shut away in the dark dinginess, Paul and Silas continued to testify to the mercy of God by praying out loud and singing hymns of praise to God, extolling His strong and wonderful mercy for them and for all human kind. When I feel imprisoned, and all seems dark and dank around me, will I toss away the rich mantle of God’s love for me and my loved ones, and descend into despondency and spiritual death? Or will I pull the strong, flexible, and rich fabric of God’s mercy around me, and openly testify to God’s Love with prayers and hymns of thanksgiving?  Paul and Silas were spontaneously delivered from prison by an earthquake ( a shaking of the mantle of God’s mercy…).  Will I trust the workmanship of my Father’s love for me and realize His Mercy unfolding around and through me?  Holy Spirit, help me testify to the unfolding of God’s Mercy around and through me.
 
Come and see what God has done; he is awesome in his deeds among the children of Adam. (Psalm 66: 4)  
 
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God … Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible … Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength…
Corrie ten Boom
 
A Happy and a Blessed Easter Season to you and your family! 
Much Grace, Peace and Joy be with you!
 
Soli ad gloriam Dei
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