Introductory Thoughts
Stephen was a faithful servant of the Lord, even unto his death. As one of his last acts of service, Stephen preached Christ to the Jewish people. They rewarded Stephen’s faithfulness to the Lord by stoning him to death. By all natural appearances, this was the end of Stephen’s service for the Lord, but God had something else in mind. On the day Stephen was martyred, a young man named Saul stood by and gave his consent to Stephen’s death. Apparently, that day greatly affected Saul. It was not long thereafter that Saul was born again and had his name changed to Paul. Later, Paul gave the testimony of his conversion to the Jewish people, and he recounted that he had witnessed the death of the Lord’s martyr (Acts 22:20).
Devotional Thoughts
-
(For children): God used the apostle Paul to write more books than anyone else in the New Testament, fourteen in all. These writings are a blessing to us as they teach salvation by grace, how we should live, and give instructions to churches and pastors.
-
(For everyone): How does your life affect others? Have you lived your life in such a way as to affect others after you leave this world? What can we learn from Stephens life and death?
-
Have you ever read the testimony of a martyrs death? (If not, consider purchasing a copy of Martyrs Mirror.) How was your life forever changed by the testimony of a martyr?
Prayer Thoughts
- Thank God for the testimonies of martyrs found within scripture.
- Ask the Lord to give you a boldness like He did to the saints of old.
Song
TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE
