Acts 7:60

Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 7:60

Stephen spent all of Acts 7 pointing out to his Jewish audience that they spent their whole history resisting the Holy Spirit. They rarely listened to God and didn’t keep His law. This got them so angry they took him out of the city to stone him. They threw their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul and started firing rocks at Stephen. That’s where today’s verse comes in. That is Stephen’s statement as he died.

One of the hardest things for us to do is to forgive those who wrong us, yet it is such a great witness to the world around us. Saul would remember this statement. Jesus even told Saul, who would eventually be Paul, that it’s hard for you to kick against the goads. Saul’s conscience spoke to him and when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he could do nothing but submit and accept Him.

Are there people in your life you haven’t forgiven? If Stephen could forgive people pelting him with stones, why is so hard for us? Pray about those you need to forgive today!

Lord, help me forgive those who are against me,

Pastor Ron Kitchell