It Grieves God
Resisting the Holy Spirit – Part 2

Scripture Reading:  Acts 7:51-58

Key Verse: Acts 7:51

“You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!

Stephen paid a price for obeying the inner voice of God and speaking to these Sanhedrin judges.  Their reaction to Stephen’s speech: “When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him” (Acts 7:54).  They finally stoned Stephen to death, even as Stephen prayed that God would not hold this sin against his attackers!  Wow—what a heart of love and forgiveness in this faithful follower of Jesus!

Are we convinced that God has spoken to His followers—the church—about feeding the poor and helping the oppressed?  If so, let’s not fall into the group that resists the Holy Spirit!  I have a feeling that most of us who are Christ followers want to do what the Spirit tells us to do!  Be praying about what God wants you to do to help the less fortunate around you.  Listen to your heart, asking God for wisdom and discernment.  It’s possible to have a soft heart but an unwise mind.  The Apostle Paul reminds the church: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).  In other words, the policy Paul had set up in the early church was not enabling the lazy.

We need God’s help in determining who and how to help the under-resourced people around us.  We must be good stewards of our resources, but we must not grow hard hearted and resist God’s Spirit that speaks to us.

Father, I will be looking for people that need the help that I can give.  Please give me wisdom, as well as a tender heart.  In Jesus’ name, amen.