I have never heard a sermon or a teacher speak about a little-known woman in scripture. I find it fascinating to study lesser-known characters in the Bible. One of those characters was a woman named Lydia. Lydia is only mentioned in three verses of scripture.

“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.” – Acts 16:14-15 NLT; “After leaving the prison they went to Lydia’s home, and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed.” – Acts 16:40.

Three little verses, yet she was a woman who made a tremendous impact for the Kingdom of God. She was seemingly unimportant, as far as the space Lydia took up in scripture, but she was very important to the Kingdom of God and the spreading of the Gospel. The brevity of her story is a stark contrast to the significant impact she made.

The Bible tells us that Lydia was from Thyatira, and she was a highly successful businesswoman. Lydia was a seller of purple cloth. Purple cloth was very expensive and bought only by the wealthy. So, think of Lydia as having one of those expensive shops in town. As a result of her success in the business world, Lydia became a woman of means. It appears she was able to have a nice, somewhat large home.

Shortly after Timothy joined Paul’s missionary team, Paul received a vision of a man, begging him: “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). So, Paul took his team, and they set out on the long journey. Read Acts sixteen and it will help you to understand the setting.

On the Sabbath, Paul and his team went to the river to find a place for prayer. The term “place of prayer” typically referred to a synagogue, but no synagogue had been established, since it required ten men. Instead, the women would gather at the river to pray.

Lydia was by the river that day, and the Bible says that she opened her heart to Paul’s message. She was one of their first converts. Lydia then invited Paul’s team to stay at her home, and she would not take no for an answer! Paul often established a homebase when he went to a new town, and Lydia’s house became that, so much so that he returned there with Silas after they came out of prison.

After meeting Jesus Christ, Lydia was set ablaze with a vision to further the Gospel. Though she might not have seemed like an ideal candidate to plant a church, through her God established a house congregation whose influence echoes through the rest of the New Testament and beyond. 

Lydia was not a gifted preacher. She was not known as one who was used to perform great miracles. What was her gift that God used to help in the evangelization of the city? Hospitality. She simply opened her home for the sake of the Gospel.

People with the gift of hospitality know how to make others feel welcome, comfortable, and special. They create welcoming gathering spaces. They plan, prepare, and serve delicious food. But most of all, they know how to make people feel welcome and loved.

Over the years, I have led a number of small groups in homes. Those homes were made possible by “Lydias” in my church. They were people who wanted to invite friends and neighbors to hear the Gospel presented and the scripture taught. Their gift made way for my gift. One was not more important than the other. Both were used by the Holy Spirit.

Lydia was just your average, busy, working mother. What did she have to offer? Her gift of hospitality. We do not know whether Lydia’s house was immaculate or whether there were dishes to wash, laundry to put away and furniture to dust. Maybe it did not seem like a big deal to Lydia to open her home. But it was a big deal to Heaven and the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.

What are you doing to further the Kingdom of God? It was not Lydia’s home but her heart that was important. Her faith led to her eagerness to serve. How is your heart? Are you eager to serve others? Maybe you’re a great hostess like Lydia, maybe not. But like Lydia, we all have gifts. What are you good at? How can you use it to help others or to build the church?

Your gifts and God’s mission go hand in hand. Your calling is what God has put on your heart as a way to serve Him, and the way you use your gifts is putting into action that calling in serving others and building up the Body of Christ.

Make time for an intentional prayer time with God this week. Seek Him and talk to Him about the ways He has gifted you. Ask Him how He wants you to use your gifts to serve Him and others. We can all further the Kingdom.

A parable is told of six residents of a blind village. They made their way to a well to get water, and there they encountered a man riding an elephant. Wanting to “see” the elephant, they requested permission to feel the elephant.

Upon returning to their village, they explained the encounter with the large animal. The six were asked what the elephant was like. Here are their responses.

• The first man said, “An elephant is like a great thick wall.” – for he had felt the side of the elephant.
• “Nonsense,” said the second man. “He is like a spear.”  – for he had felt the tusks.
• The third man felt the ear, and said, “The elephant is like a gigantic leaf made of thick wool carpet. It moves when you touch it.”
• “I disagree,” said the fourth man who had felt the trunk. “I can tell you that an elephant is like a giant snake.”
• The fifth man shouted his objection. He had touched the legs of the elephant and concluded, “An elephant is round and thick, like a tree.”
• The sixth man rode on the elephant’s back. “Can’t any of you accurately describe an elephant? He is like a giant moving mountain!”

The parable ends by saying that to this day, the six men continue to argue, and no one in the village has any idea what an elephant looks like.

As times, there is an elephant in the church, and its name is FAITH.

Defining FAITH has led to misconceptions and arguments. Some act as if faith is some kind of magical potion or power, and that if we could just work up enough faith, we can make anything happen. Others mistakenly think of faith as positive thinking.

God, in His infinite wisdom, had a writer to pen the eleventh chapter of Hebrews in order to gain a proper understanding of faith. Hebrews eleven not only defines faith but it also goes on to list dozens of men and women who are known for their accurate understanding of faith.

There are all kinds of stories and miracles and wonders in Hebrews chapter eleven. Enoch is the most fascinating on the list to me.

Enoch is not known for anything famous. Enoch never raised a rod and parted a sea so people could walk on dry ground. There is nothing written that tells us that Enoch, like Abraham, left his home and in a great step of faith began his journey with God. We do not see that Enoch, like Sarah, had a word from God and a great thing miraculously emerged from his faith.

In Hebrews eleven, we see a man listed in the faith chapter and all it tells us is that he walked with God and lived a life that was pleasing to God. It never tells us that he did a miracle, never raised the dead, never turned bitter water into sweet water. He never built an ark. The Bible just says that Enoch had enough faith to walk with God and enough faith that the testimony of his life was that he pleased God.

When the scripture says that Enoch walked with God and pleased God, we would have to understand that God is not so much interested in what we do as He is in how we walk. What pleases God is when we walk with God.

I know of no greater testimony than being someone who walked with God and pleased Him.

Perhaps you have looked up to the “great” Christians who have done lofty things. Maybe after noticing them, you feel about two inches tall when it comes to faith. STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!

We are in a time upon the earth that evil is rampant. Good is often called evil, and evil is often called good. The prophet Isaiah spoke about this issue. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” – Isaiah 5:20-21 NIV.

The phrase “good is called evil and evil good” comes directly from the Bible. The prophet warned against the moral inversion where people reverse right and wrong, calling evil good and darkness light. It describes a state of rejecting God’s standards, leading to societal decay, where destructive ideas are praised and righteousness is condemned.

We are there!

In times like these, God is looking for people with enough faith to walk righteously with Him. Thank God for Noahs who build arks. Thank God for Pauls who write books of the Bible. Thank God for the Davids who know how to write songs to God. All of those are wonderful things. They certainly take faith in God to accomplish.

In 2026, in a society that calls evil good, wrong right, and darkness light, we need faith like Enoch. Enoch encountered God in a time when there was much godlessness on the earth. That God-encounter led Enoch to become a man who walked with God. Regardless of all the pressures around him, he walked with God. He was not noted for some great miracle. Yet, God made sure to mention him early in the verses of Hebrews eleven.

I want to be an Enoch who walks with God and whose greatest goal is to live a life pleasing in the sight of God. In a society that paid little attention to God, Enoch lived a life of faithfulness in a corrupt world.

One day as God and Enoch walked together, the Bible says that God brought Enoch to live with Him eternally. No death for Enoch. The Bible says Enoch was no more. I like the way D. L. Moody, who talking about this verse, pictured it. He said, he just pictured God and Enoch walking together one day, and it got near the end of the day and God said to Enoch, “Well, we’re closer to my house than we are yours. Why don’t you just come home with me?” And he went home with him, just like that.

I want to have faith to walk with God. In 2026 when so many are compromising truth, I want to have Heaven say of me, “She walked with God and pleased Him.”

The greatest commentary of our lives is to say we walked with God. Give me faith like Enoch.

As a child growing up, I could never understand my mother always calling my father honey. Not once did I ever hear her call him Morris. Most of you probably know my story about being raised in a terribly abusive home. That atmosphere of abuse was created by my father who was mean to everyone.

I know many couples have pet names that they call each other, but somehow honey did not match my father. If my mother saw my father in a rage or saw him being abusive to one of his children, she would sometimes say, “Honey, stop that.”  It just never seemed to fit. He was anything but honey, especially in those moments.

I discovered that his siblings also called him honey. What?! That is strange coming from sisters and really strange coming from brothers.

Finally, one of my uncles explained to me why my father was called honey. When he was a little boy, he loved honey. He saw a beehive in a tree and thought surely there must be a treasure of honey. He proceeded to climb the tree, reach out to the hive, and chaos quickly ensued. The residents of the beehive began to swarm around him, leaving many stings on his body. His siblings thought this was so funny, and from that point on, he was known as honey.

Nicknames are quite interesting if we know the stories behind them.

One of the best nicknames in scripture was given to a man and is recorded in Acts chapter 4:34-37.

“There were no needy people among them because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.”

A man named Joseph (some translations say Joses) had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and it was life changing. As we are introduced to him, we are told that his real name is Joseph, but he was given a nickname by others in the church. That name was Barnabas which means son of encouragement. Barnabas was an encourager.

Take the time to read all the places where Barnabas is mentioned in scripture. I will not list them all here, but a search on the Internet will reveal what the Bible says about Barnabas. What we find is that Joseph was such an encourager that the church just began to call him Barnabas. He embodied encouragement.

We all need to be such encouragers that people could replace our names and call us Barnabas. Why does this matter? Because encouragement changes people and builds them up. “Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up” (Proverbs 12:25). Words can heal. “No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29).

We are still very early in the year 2026. Be an encourager this week and in the coming weeks. These are just a few suggestions on how to be a Barnabas this week.

1. Pick two people to pray for every day this week and send them a word of encouragement each day this week. It can be a scripture or your own words of encouragement.
2. Tell someone about the good things you see in them. You can tell your spouse, your friend, your pastor, or even your dentist. I am going to my dentist this week, and I am already formulating a few encouraging words for him.
3. Do something tangible for a person who is under a heavy load. Take them a meal. Help them with a chore. Ask if you can stop by to pray for them or pray for them over the phone. There are so many helpful things we can do with those under a heavy load.
4. Find someone new in church and make it a point to greet them every week. Invite them to sit with you. Sit with them. This is similar to what Barnabas did with Saul after Saul’s Damascus Road experience.
5. Guard your posts on social media. Lots of things in this life can irritate us. This week, post something every day that is encouraging – a scripture, a song, your own words.
6. Give to meet the legitimate needs of another. That was the first thing we read about Barnabas did. He gave to meet the needs of others in the church.

There are so many things we can do and say to become a more encouraging person. A commitment to encourage others challenges us all to lift the countenance of someone else — no matter what we might be facing ourselves. As we offer encouragement to others, we can trust that God, in His sovereignty, will encourage us. This is the principle described in Proverbs 11:25, “… whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (NIV).

I know my name is Barbara, but I sure do hope my nickname will become Barnabas because nicknames can say a lot.

For many years I have supported Voice of the Martyrs which serves persecuted Christians throughout the world. One thing I have learned is that thousands of believers around the world are literally tortured or killed because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

The following is one of the many stories I have read from VOM:

On Aug. 7, 2021, Pastor Wang Xiaoguang and other leaders of the Linfen church — including his wife, Yang Rongli — were arrested in Shanxi Province, China. They were accused of fraud, which is how the Chinese Communist Party characterizes the collection of tithes in the church.

After almost four years of detention, Pastor Wang Xiaoguang was sentenced to nine years and seven months in prison. In a separate trial, Yang Rongli was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Together, they face fines of 2.3 million CNY, or more than $320,000 USD.

Wang Xiaoguang’s son reported that his father considered it “a great honor” to be put on trial for the Lord, and his mother called the sentence “a great crown given to me by God.”

Wang Xiaoguang like so many persecuted Christians learned to endure through poverty, hardship, suffering, unfairness, and hostility. These persecuted Christians have an eternal mindset, and they are willing to endure until the day they meet Jesus face-to-face.

Perhaps you have chosen a word for the year as you journey along the path of Christian faith in 2026. I am not one to choose a word for the year, and I am certainly not opposed to those who do. Listen to God and walk according to what He impresses in your spirit.

I do have a word for the rest of my journey until I meet Jesus Christ face-to-face. I want to be a believer who has learned to endure. I want to stay faithful to God no matter what this year brings or what future years bring. I want to be a woman who knows how to endure until I see the promises of God fulfilled.

Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” The Christians in Hebrews had faced so much hardship, and some of them were about ready to give up. They and we need endurance.

I challenge you to read stories from Voice of the Martyrs. In the United States, we rarely are imprisoned or killed because of our faith. Yet, every Christian will experience trials that might include unexpected financial situations, horrendous suffering, family breakdowns, or the pressure to conform to unbiblical values. Like the Christians addressed in Hebrews, we may feel tempted to leave Christianity or “deconstruct” to a compromised version of the faith. The words of Jesus, His apostles, and the book of Hebrews ring true today. We need endurance as much as the Christians of the first century.

Let me just sing it to you, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase, so bravely run the race till we see Christ.”

We must be people who know how to endure.

How do we endure trials? By our own strength? Hardly. Before Jesus’ arrest, the disciples believed their human effort would help them stand firm, but they abandoned Jesus in Gethsemane (Mark 14:50). Later, they all endured great persecution and remained unshaken in their faith. What made the difference? The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. The gospel and the Spirit give us the strength to endure.

The early apostles faced intense opposition for preaching the gospel, yet they remained steadfast in their commitment to obey God rather than men. Their courage came from a deep conviction that Jesus Christ was the risen Savior and that His message needed to be shared, regardless of the consequences. They learned to endure.

Prayer:

“Father, give me the courage to endure through the trials of life, knowing that they can lead to growth and transformation. Help me to see each trial as an opportunity to learn and grow, rather than as a setback or failure. As I journey through life, please help me to build endurance. May the challenges I face help me to become more like you, growing in wisdom, faith, and love. May the hope that comes from endurance fill my heart and inspire me to keep moving forward, even when the way seems uncertain. God, I know I cannot do this on my own. Be with me, granting me the endurance I need to overcome any obstacle. Thank you for your love, your grace, and your unwavering presence in my life. May the endurance that comes from trusting in you strengthen me today and always.” Amen