Then the devotional contact today. Today’ s Bible reading begins in verse fifty
- four of fact, chapter seven. Hearing these things, they were angry
in their hearts and gnashed their teeth against him. But Stephen, full of
the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on heaven, saw the glory of God
and Jesus, who was at the right hand of God, and said,
Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the son of man standing at
the right hand of God. Then they cried loudly, and covered their ears,
and smote one against him, and cast him out of the city,
and stoned him, and the witnesses put their clothes at the feet of a
young man named Saul, and stoned Stephen as he cried and said, Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit, and kneel down, and cried with a loud
voice. Lord, do not take this sin into account. And having said
this, he slept I wonder if the thoughts of Stephen' s murder came
to the mind of the apostle Paul as he stood before the Roman Tribunal.
Although his fellow disciples and converts to faith had not come to support him,
He did not want the Heavenly Father to discipline them. Paul offered a prayer
of forgiveness, as did Stephen, who forgave all the men who stoned him
to death. Believers need to accept that forgiveness is right when we are harmed
by grace. It is only the Lord' s mercy to us is also
His mercy flowing through us. Forgiving others is one more step towards becoming more
alike. A Christ harboring resentment does not fit with the person full of the
spirit in which we become as we are saved. Moreover, we must remember
that Jesus Christ paid the debt of sin for those who have done us much
harm, whether or not they accept the gift of grace from the Savior.
Still, no one believes that forgiving an offense is easy. Some people inflict
such a terrible evil on others that they seem not to deserve compassion, but
it is important to understand that offering mercy is much better than living with alternatives.
The bitterness, vengeance and anger that can torment the spirit until the benevolence
is over is exhausted and the health is darkened. Mind, holy spirit will
help us to forgive. It slowly brings out our pain, our disappointment and
our anger and then fills our heart with mercy. Only when we fully surrender
to him can we say how Stephen. Lord, do not take this sin
into account to them.