December 18, 2008 - Acts 7:59

“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’” Acts 7:59.
While Stephen proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth as the long-awaited Messiah, the members of the Sanhedrin pronounced Stephen a blasphemer, punishable by stoning to death. The process of stoning is an extremely painful way to die. The instructions were to not kill the “criminal” with the first or second blow, but not to be lenient by throwing pebbles. The object was to inflict as much pain on the person without killing them and to prolong their life as long as possible. Within a few centuries of the first century, most governments and religions, except fanatic Muslims, had outlawed stoning as inhumane.
It was in the midst of this tremendously painful experience that Stephen had the presence of mind to look toward heaven and pray. I must admit that I complain about the simplest and most minor of things. I get a hangnail and I whine and moan for hours about my “dreadful” condition. Okay, this is a bit of an exaggeration, but not much of one! The point is that I look toward my own inconvenience and problem instead of looking toward heaven for my solution.
Stephen’s posture was a wonderful model for us, whether a hangnail is our condition or it is a life and death situation. Looking toward heaven and praying to the Living God is the posture that we can long for.
Questions to consider: What position do you take when inconveniences or trials, big or small, occur in your life? What could you do to position yourself, as Stephen modeled?
Prayer: Father, it is my desire, when trials happen in my life, to look to You. Please give me the presence of mind to look to You in the midst of the trial. Amen.