Central Truth

There are times when we’re unsure of what the next step should be. We may wait awhile in uncertainty, asking God to show us. But there comes a time when God makes His direction clear, as He did with these early believers.

Reflections

Have you ever had to confront someone with the truth? Or perhaps forgive someone for the wrong they’ve done against you? Or have you faced a difficult situation unsure of what direction to take? We see these three things in this passage. Let’s take a look.

Confrontation...Stephen stands trial before the Sanhedrin, a victim of false accusations. Fearlessly, he asserts their guilt in murdering Christ. “Full of the Holy Spirit,” Stephen sees the “Son of Man” at the right hand of God. These men understood he was claiming Jesus was the Messiah, but Stephen spoke anyway.

Forgiveness...These religious leaders were furious. Their reaction? Immediate and swift violence. They dragged Stephen out of the city to stone him. Stephen prays, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” and “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” These two prayers remind us of someone Else who died unjustly (Luke 23:34, 46). In the midst of pain and certain death, Stephen offers forgiveness.

Direction...A great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem.” The result? Believers scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, like seeds sown into the wind. We see God’s sovereignty as He moves these believers on to fulfill His plans of taking the gospel to the world (Acts 1:8).

Our response? I have walked with God through difficult times, admittedly not to the extent of these courageous followers of Christ. For me, confrontation and forgiveness came in the midst of pain and tearful prayers. I don’t always understand God’s direction for my life, but I am learning to trust Him.

God has a far greater purpose in the midst of suffering and persecution than we can ever imagine. His ways are not our ways. And even though we hardly understand, we can choose to trust Him. He is the only One who can bring good from disaster. He walks with us through our darkest times. He showers us with His presence and gives us grace to walk forward day by day. As we take those next steps, whether we know the direction or not, we hold tightly to His hand.

Discussion Questions

1. Is there someone you need to either confront or forgive? After praying about the situation, what steps do you need to take?

2. Do you feel like you’re at a standstill in knowing God’s direction for the next step of your life? What can you do to step out in faith?

3. Sometimes it’s hard to see good in our circumstances. Notice, in the midst of the persecution, that a side note is given regarding “a young man named Saul.” Who would’ve ever expected that Saul (Paul) would be one of the good things to come out of this situation? What good things do you see in your present situation?

4. How do you see Acts 1:8 happening in the midst of the suffering these early believers experienced? How do you see it happening today?