Verse
[Stephen said,] "You stubborn people! You are heathens at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One — the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God's law, even though you received it from the hands of angels."
Thought
Stephen stands before a mob that is furious with him for telling the story of Jesus, so he reminds them that they are following a long line of ancestors who resisted God's message spoken through the prophets. These prophets are the very ones who predicted the coming of Jesus, the "Righteous One" who is "the Messiah" they crucified. To ignore, oppose, and disobey this message is to resist the Holy Spirit of God who inspired the prophets. The question we have to ask ourselves is this: what part of the Holy Spirit's message am I ignoring, opposing, or disobeying?
Prayer
Holy God, thank you for speaking in human words through the prophets and through the Scriptures. I pray for the courage to honor the message of truth you have communicated through them by obediently living out your will in my life. In Jesus name, I ask for this grace. Amen.
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
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