Sunday, January 4, 2026
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: Acts 6-7
Key Verse
Acts 7:23 — “And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.”
Devotional Thought
What does it look like to trust God when the church is growing and the pressure is mounting? Acts 6 opens with a very ordinary problem: widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The Grecian believers murmur against the Hebrews, and the apostles could easily have been drawn into the dispute themselves. Instead, they call the whole multitude together and propose a solution that honors both the Word of God and the practical needs of the people. Seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, are chosen to serve tables. The result is striking: the word of God increases, the disciples multiply greatly, and even a great company of the priests become obedient to the faith. When the church handles conflict with humility and order, God brings fruit that no one could have planned.
Stephen is one of those seven men, and his story quickly moves from serving tables to standing before the council. He is full of faith and power, doing great wonders among the people, and his face shines like an angel. But opposition rises. False witnesses accuse him of blasphemy against Moses and the temple. When the high priest asks, “Are these things so?” Stephen does not defend himself with clever arguments. He preaches. He walks through the history of Israel from Abraham to Moses to David to Solomon, showing how God has always been at work, and how the people have always resisted the Holy Ghost. He names their fathers’ idolatry, their rejection of Moses, and their betrayal and murder of the Just One. The crowd is cut to the heart, but not in repentance. They gnash their teeth, stop their ears, and stone him.
Stephen’s death is one of the most terrible scenes in Scripture, and yet it is also one of the most beautiful. As the stones fall, he looks up and sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He prays, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” and then kneels and cries, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” He falls asleep. A young man named Saul stands by, holding the coats of the witnesses, and the seed of Stephen’s prayer is planted in the soil of the church’s greatest persecutor. In this new year, we may not face stones, but we will face moments when faithfulness costs us. Stephen shows us that even in suffering, the presence of Christ is real, and forgiveness is possible.
Reflection
- When conflict arises in your church or family, do you seek to preserve your own position, or do you look for the wisdom that keeps both the Word of God and the needs of people in view?
- Stephen forgave his killers even as he died. Is there someone in your life against whom you are still holding a charge that only God can lift?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You stood at the right hand of God when Stephen looked into heaven, and You stand ready to receive all who call upon You. Give us the honesty of the seven men, the wisdom to serve tables well, and the courage to speak Your truth without fear. When we are wronged, teach us to pray as Stephen prayed, and when we are afraid, let us see Your glory. Lay not our sins to our charge, and make us faithful even unto death. Amen.