Hope Bigger Than Stones
Updated May 28, 2025
Acts of the Apostles 7 & 8
“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, ‘Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!’ Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ He fell to his knees, shouting, ‘Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!’ And with that, he died.” Acts of the Apostles 7:55-60 NLT
Oh, how hard it is to stand for the truth sometimes! But God gives us strength to tell His story and be His vessel. I also believe God reveals Himself in supernatural ways when we need Him most, as He did for Stephen, while Stephen was being stoned. I believe seeing Jesus allowed Stephen to endure to the end, and that Stephen was filled with so much hope and awe that everything else melted away as he fixed his eyes on Christ.
