Why did Lydia hear the gospel at the riverside in Acts 16?
Lydia heard the gospel at the riverside because God sovereignly arranged it as a divine appointment, not an accident. Paul had been directed by the Spirit into Macedonia, went to the riverside Sabbath prayer gathering, and spoke there; the Lord opened Lydia's heart to the message.
Les explains that this was a divine appointment, no doubt about it. Paul had come across from Asia Minor into the European continent because the Spirit gave him the vision to go over into Macedonia. On the Sabbath, Paul went out of the city to the riverside where prayer was customary, sat down, and spoke to the women gathered there. Lydia, a seller of purple from Thyatira who worshipped God, heard them, and the Lord opened her heart. Les points out that if Paul had not come to that particular riverside park on that particular Sabbath day, she would never have heard the Word. From her point of view, she was accidentally in the right place at the right time, but behind it was the sovereign God. Les applies the same principle to someone who says they accidentally ran across his program and became interested in the Bible: it is not accidental, the Lord is in it from start to finish.
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.
See the restMore Questions
Who was Lydia in Acts 16 and what happened when she heard Paul preach?
Lydia was a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, and when she heard Paul, the Lord opened her heart.
Was Lydia just lucky to be at the riverside when Paul preached?
From Lydia's own point of view she accidentally was in the right place at the right time, but always behind it is the sovereign God.