Stephen Superior to Circumstances - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Acts 7:55

Stephen Superior to Circumstances
Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit; I do not say everyone is, though we believers have the Holy Spirit. The effect of seeing Christ in glory is that we are changed into the same image from glory to glory. He who is in the glory is the One who bore my sins. Now let me look upon that glory, let me think of it, let me tell it; He "loved me and gave Himself for me," and my heart delights to look at Him. The effect is that I am "changed into the same image," my heart gets full of Christ. Stephen in a certain sense becomes perfectly like Christ: he says, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin"; the Lord Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Stephen says, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit"; the Lord Jesus, "Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.'"

When the soul really sees and knows Christ by faith as the One who has saved us, we become like Him, though of course we have to be on the watch against temptations every day. What is very difficult for us in this world is entire superiority to circumstances. There were the people raging against Stephen, and not only that, after they had dragged him out of the city, while the stones were flying round him, he knelt down and prayed for them. Stephen, through the Lord's grace, is entirely superior to circumstances, always with his heart in heaven.

It is difficult, I grant, and requires communion with the Lord and diligence of heart in seeking Him in prayer. Supposing the world does kill us, why we would go straight to Christ in heaven like Stephen did, a witness for Christ here, and a companion of Christ up there, to whom he went in blessed joy and gladness of heart.

J. N. Darby