Daily Worship

purple

Fiona Campbell February 07, 2016 0 0

Acts 16: 13-15

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.    She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.

noun
a colour intermediate between red and blue.   Purple clothing or material.
a crimson dye obtained from some molluscs, formerly used for fabric worn by an emperor or senior magistrate in ancient Rome or Byzantium.

adjective
of a colour intermediate between red and blue.

verb
make or become purple in colour.

 

Purple for importance

Lydia was a wealthy, self-made business woman.   Today she would be on Dragons Den to show and share her success . . . and become a celebrity !      We seem to give a lot of attention and respect to importance, and from Roman times purple has been  the colour of importance, hence Lydia’s wealth.   She sold the top-people’s tailoring.

Prayer

What’s really important in life, Lord ?
We all want to get on, be respected, make money, buy nice things –
It seems to work for some folk – the powerful, the celebrities, the medal-winners.
But what about me ?  
Sometimes I wish I was “someone” so that life was more . . . “special”.
If I was better-looking, or richer, or famous, Lord, I’m sure I’d have more fun !
So help me Lord, to see, that I’m not unlucky or a nobody –
I’m “someone”, and greatly blessed.
You have given me gifts, talents, and new opportunities each day.
Show me how to act on them, to see what’s important and make the effort to make good things happen in my life.
Help me to be like Lydia : not just willing to work hard in my role in life, but able to see
what’s really important.
Open my heart, Lord and draw me into fellowship with others that I might see my own value and find the place in life which is important to me and to you.

Amen.