READING: 1 Samuel 9-10, Acts 8
It’s hard to read the first four verses of Acts 8 and not be stopped in your tracks for a few minutes. The world may see them as only words written on paper, but they’re the inspired words of God who teaches us about His early church. In particular, notice the decided obedience of believers in these verses:
“On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison. So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word.”
Serious persecution had set in in the Holy City. So intense was the persecution that many of the believers scattered from Jerusalem; after all, they had surely heard of Stephen’s death and his mournful burial at the hands of godly men. Saul was so committed to the destruction of Christianity that he went from house to house to imprison both men and women. Faith in Jesus was costing much. The risks of obedience were increasing.
Still, though, the believers preached the Word wherever they went. Apparently, the Good News had so radically changed their lives that even the threat of death—actually, now more than a threat since they had seen Stephen die—could not keep them from telling the story. May God make that same story just as real in our lives today!
PRAYER: “Father, I want to follow You with all my being, even if it costs me my life.”
TOMORROW’S READING: 1 Samuel 11-13, Psalm 38, Acts 9
