Acts 7 - 1.5.23

Scripture

Acts 7:51-53

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

Observation-What does it say?

Stephen was seized and brought to trial under false accusations against him with false witnesses. He was responding to the high priest who asked Stephen if the charges were true. Stephen answered by laying out the history of Israel and how time and time again the Holy Spirit showed up yet the Israelites resisted God, grew cold, hard and jealous, and turned away from Him. Stephen was calling the Sanhedrin out, showing them how they were doing the same thing people had done for hundreds of years before them.

Understanding-What does it mean?

Don’t resist the Holy Spirit.

All throughout scripture we see how God’s people resisted Him and suffered for it.

Jesus said: “This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;  you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’[a] But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”

–Matthew 13:13-16

I want to be like Stephen. I want to be someone who sees and hears what the Holy Spirit is doing and saying. I want my heart to stay soft, and I want to be blessed because I see and hear.

Life Application

Keep your heart soft before the Holy Spirit by spending time with God and God’s people.

I don’t want to be like the Sanhedrin or thousands of others who have gone before and have had their hearts hardened, and who have resisted Holy Spirit. I don’t want to miss out on the glory of God that people like Stephen got to experience because they were open to what Holy Spirit had for them and obeyed Him. I want to be open to all that God has for me, my family, community, and world. In order to do that, I need to keep myself in His presence, connecting with him regularly throughout my day and connecting with my family – God’s people – who can continue to encourage me and keep my heart in check should it start to grow cold.

God, thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to die for my sins, and thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Please forgive me for the times I resist the Holy Spirit, forgive me for the times that I have received your commands but haven’t obeyed them. Thank you for your grace and mercy, and the blood of Jesus that washes me clean. Help me to stay soft and open to you. Help me to stay soft and open to my family of believers. Help me to stay vulnerable before you. I love you! Amen.

-Katie Thompson