Thank you all for your gracious support of these daily devotions! They have been reaching new people through the YouTube videos, so thank you for continuing on with me in this new format.
Stephen's story in Acts 7 is a startling one. The fact that they killed him for what he said is really quite something.
He had really let them have it - about how they refused to accept Christ, and so were guilty before God. Then we read: "When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look,' he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.' At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him." (Acts 7:54-58)
Covering Our Ears
Sadly, there are still many people today - Jews and Gentiles - who refuse to accept Jesus, and who cover their ears and yell at the top of their voices to avoid receiving the truth. Maybe not literally, but in a metaphorical sense… read or listen to this full devotion on my Patreon page here – for a monthly amount of your choice.
Paul opens 1 Timothy 6 with respect between slaves and masters, and that respect belongs in every place we serve or lead. Treat the people above you and below you with dignity this week, starting with the one you find hardest to respect.