Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Faithful to the End: The Witness of Stephen 

Bible  reading  :Acts 7:54-60

 

Key Verse:V60”Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep”.


DEVOTION

Have you ever been in a situation where standing up for your beliefs felt incredibly hard? Stephen, the first Christian martyr, filled with the Holy Spirit, stands as a powerful example of staying faithful even when facing hardship.
Who is Stephen and why does Luke take 2 full chapters to speak about this man? 
Stephen was one of the first deacons in the early Christian church and was selected as one of the seven men chosen to assist the apostles in caring for widows. He was full of faith, the Holy Spirit, and power, and his wisdom and strong defense of his faith led to people turning against him and falsely accusing him of speaking against God.
In Acts 7:54-60, we witness Stephen's final moments. His courage, love, and forgiveness in the face of violent persecution teach us profound lessons about what it means to remain faithful to the end.
Faithfulness Requires Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus: When the crowd attacked Stephen, he looked up to heaven and saw God's glory and Jesus standing at God's right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56). This vision gave him strength and peace, reminding us that God's presence is with us in our trials.
Faithfulness Reflects Jesus’ Love and Forgiveness: As Stephen was being stoned, he prayed, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (Acts 7:60). These words echo Jesus' prayer on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Stephen's act of forgiveness shows that being faithful means showing Christ's love, even to those who harm us. It's not easy, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can show great grace to others, trusting that God can use our actions to touch the hearts of others.
Faithfulness Render Strength to endure suffering: In the midst of his suffering, Stephen’s faithfulness opened the heavens, reminds us that faithfulness doesn’t always lead to deliverance from suffering, but it does lead to the presence of God. In our darkest moments, when we feel the weight of trials pressing upon us, faithfulness enables us to shift our focus from the temporal to the eternal. The same Spirit who filled Stephen is available to us today, giving us strength to endure with grace, courage, and love.
True witnesses stand firm in faith till the end, knowing the Lord stands with us. In our lives, we may face challenges too. Like Stephen, when we live with love, truth, and kindness, we become witnesses for Jesus—showing others His light and hope.
Today, let us ask ourselves, What does my life say about Christ? Am I willing to be faithful to God, no matter the cost?  
 

   PRAYER

 Dear God, thank You for being Stephen's witness and for his unwavering faith. Help us and future generations live with the same steadfast devotion, bringing glory to Your name. In Jesus' name, Amen.


Thought of the day

       Faithfulness is the courage to stand firm in God's truth, regardless of the cost.


Jooley Mathew Zachariah, Houston Trinity Marthoma Church. 

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