Joy In Suffering
“Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
Hebrews 12:2
As I read the story of Stephen being stoned to death in Acts 7, I am humbled by the way Stephen responded to those with whom he was sharing the love of God found in Jesus Christ. It says in verses 54-60, “The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”
Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.”
There is no question that Stephen cared more about the souls of the men who were murdering him then he did his own life. Like you I read this account and I think to myself, how could Stephen just stand there in perfect peace while being pummeled to death with stones the size of a human fist? The Lord gave me an answer reminding me of an experience I had back in the 7th grade. It was a Saturday afternoon and my Jack Frost Football team was leading 7-6 with just seconds left in the game. I was in the 7th grade, standing about 5’8” tall and probably about 125 pounds. I was playing cornerback when the quarterback on the other team ran a “quarterback keeper” around the end and the only thing that stood between him and the winning touch down was me. He was about 5” taller and about 25 pounds heavier and we met helmet to helmet much in the same way two young rams butting heads would. Dazed, we both fell straight backwards to the ground.
I remember vividly it hurting so bad that I wanted to cry and I wanted to quit. I was thinking I didn’t like the pain that came with playing the game of tackle football. As I stood slowly to my feet I heard a familiar voice yelling out to me, “Way to go Mikey, do it again, do it again.” It was my dad who was standing about 50 yards away down by the end zone. When I heard my dad’s voice I no longer felt the pain. I ran back to the huddle and got ready for the next play. The opposing team called the exact same play. As the quarterback rolled out all I could think about was I could not let him get past me or we would lose the game. The memory of the pain of the previous play was still fresh in my mind but now I knew my dad was watching me and there was nothing I wanted more in that moment than to make my father proud.
Once again me and the opposing quarterback hit head to head and again I fell to the ground. This time though I jumped up and the quarterback on the other team did not. As I stood there I heard my dad’s voice loud and clear, “Way to go, way to go!” and though I am positive there was pain from the tackle, I didn’t feel anything other than joy knowing I had made my dad proud. It was as if the joy of pleasing my Father who loved me far outweighed the pain associated with the physical contact of tackle football.
As I sat there at lunch the other day recounting this story with my friend with whom I was celebrating his birthday I felt the Lord whispering in my spirit, “Now you understand why Stephen could be stoned to death without flinching, and how Paul could get back up and return to the same city after being stoned and left for dead, and why for the joy that was set before Him, Jesus could take the nails for the whole world.” It was their love for their Heavenly Father and making Him proud that was stronger than the pain of suffering. As I sat there at lunch I was in awe how the Lord could use that memory from my own childhood and my love for my father to teach me a far greater and more important lesson about the power of our Heavenly Father’s love in helping his sons and daughters endure the pain we all experience in different ways in this life for Him and get back up and do it again! Oh, the things we are capable of when we know we are loved.
“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
1 Corinthians 13:7
I LOVE YOU!
Hebrews 12:2
As I read the story of Stephen being stoned to death in Acts 7, I am humbled by the way Stephen responded to those with whom he was sharing the love of God found in Jesus Christ. It says in verses 54-60, “The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”
Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.”
There is no question that Stephen cared more about the souls of the men who were murdering him then he did his own life. Like you I read this account and I think to myself, how could Stephen just stand there in perfect peace while being pummeled to death with stones the size of a human fist? The Lord gave me an answer reminding me of an experience I had back in the 7th grade. It was a Saturday afternoon and my Jack Frost Football team was leading 7-6 with just seconds left in the game. I was in the 7th grade, standing about 5’8” tall and probably about 125 pounds. I was playing cornerback when the quarterback on the other team ran a “quarterback keeper” around the end and the only thing that stood between him and the winning touch down was me. He was about 5” taller and about 25 pounds heavier and we met helmet to helmet much in the same way two young rams butting heads would. Dazed, we both fell straight backwards to the ground.
I remember vividly it hurting so bad that I wanted to cry and I wanted to quit. I was thinking I didn’t like the pain that came with playing the game of tackle football. As I stood slowly to my feet I heard a familiar voice yelling out to me, “Way to go Mikey, do it again, do it again.” It was my dad who was standing about 50 yards away down by the end zone. When I heard my dad’s voice I no longer felt the pain. I ran back to the huddle and got ready for the next play. The opposing team called the exact same play. As the quarterback rolled out all I could think about was I could not let him get past me or we would lose the game. The memory of the pain of the previous play was still fresh in my mind but now I knew my dad was watching me and there was nothing I wanted more in that moment than to make my father proud.
Once again me and the opposing quarterback hit head to head and again I fell to the ground. This time though I jumped up and the quarterback on the other team did not. As I stood there I heard my dad’s voice loud and clear, “Way to go, way to go!” and though I am positive there was pain from the tackle, I didn’t feel anything other than joy knowing I had made my dad proud. It was as if the joy of pleasing my Father who loved me far outweighed the pain associated with the physical contact of tackle football.
As I sat there at lunch the other day recounting this story with my friend with whom I was celebrating his birthday I felt the Lord whispering in my spirit, “Now you understand why Stephen could be stoned to death without flinching, and how Paul could get back up and return to the same city after being stoned and left for dead, and why for the joy that was set before Him, Jesus could take the nails for the whole world.” It was their love for their Heavenly Father and making Him proud that was stronger than the pain of suffering. As I sat there at lunch I was in awe how the Lord could use that memory from my own childhood and my love for my father to teach me a far greater and more important lesson about the power of our Heavenly Father’s love in helping his sons and daughters endure the pain we all experience in different ways in this life for Him and get back up and do it again! Oh, the things we are capable of when we know we are loved.
“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
1 Corinthians 13:7
I LOVE YOU!
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