TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 7:1-16
TO CHEW ON: "And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him." Acts 7:9
Here Stephen is before the Jewish council. His "… faith and power… great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 7:8) have caught the attention of the religious rulers. They are jealous (not unlike those "patriarchs"—Joseph's brothers). Trying to discredit him, they find people willing to lie and accuse him of blasphemy. So Stephen is defending himself against false accusations.
In his eloquent speech he traces how God has worked in their nation from Abraham on. No doubt he gets special comfort from remembering Joseph who was also falsely accused. "But God was with him" he reminds them—and himself.
When we're in trouble, forced to defend what we believe, or on the hot seat for something we haven't done, or even in a personal crisis of faith, Stephen's example of recalling God at work is a good one for us to follow too.
- We can read the Old Testament stories (of Joseph, David, Daniel, Esther) and remember how He worked in Bible times.
- We can recall how God has helped us in the past.
- We can review faith-building verses like: "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations…" and "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 90:1; 91:1).
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for how You have worked throughout history. Help me to recognize Your actions in my life. Amen.
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
