IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, NOVEMBER 3,2011
NO CHARGE
AND THEY STONED STEPHEN, CALLING UPON GOD,
AND SAYING, LORD JESUS, RECEIVE MY SPIRIT.
AND HE KNEELED DOWN, AND CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE,
LORD, LAY NOT THIS SIN TO THEIR CHARGE. AND WHEN
HE HAD SAID THIS, HE FELL ASLEEP. ACTS 7:59,60
I imagine Stephen had to use all of the strength he had
to utter his last words. Out of all the words he could have
spoken, he chose these: LAY NOT THIS SIN TO THEIR CHARGE.
Stephen was an innocent man, but he was far from ordinary.
The scriptures tell us, "And Stephen, full of faith and power,did great wonders and miracles
among the people"(Acts 6:8). Though Stephen was a man of God, the people hated him. Still, he modeled Jesus by forgiving his accusers.
Today, let us model Christ as we ask God to dismiss the charges against those who have harmed us.
