4 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

2 Chronicles 25-27
Acts 7:44-60

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Acts 7:60 (CSB): “He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ And after saying this, he fell asleep.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

If someone committed a crime against me, the police may arrest the person, and they may have their day in court. But, because I was the one who was wrong, I can petition the court. If, for some reason, I don’t want the criminal to face the wrath of the law, I can ask the court or prosecutor to drop the charges. Since the crime was against me, my comments will carry a lot of weight. Ultimately, the decision isn’t mine to make, but I can try to influence the outcome.

That’s how I understand Stephen’s words in Acts 7:60. He looked at the blood-thirsty crowd who were picking up rocks to stone him to death. He looked to Heaven and asked that God would not hold that particular sin against them. Since the crime was against him, it would seem that Stephen’s comments would carry weight with Heaven.

Stephen wasn’t the only one to say such a thing. Jesus said it, too.

Luke 23:34 (CSB): “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided his clothes and cast lots.”

Like Stephen, Jesus looked at the bloodthirsty crowd and asked that God would not hold that sin against them. Since Jesus was the object of the wrongdoing, His comments carried incredibly weight in Heaven’s courtroom.

Then, we come to Paul’s comments. As he ends his final letter before his death, he acknowledges that a man named Alexander did something horrible to him. Paul didn’t ask for the charges to be dropped in Heaven’s court. Instead, he looked forward to justice being administered by his God. Then, in the next breath, Paul acknowledges that some of his friends deserted him when he needed them the most. For them, he had asked Heaven not to hold it against them.

2 Timothy 4:14-16 (CSB): “Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works. Watch out for him yourself because he strongly opposed our words. At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.”

Friend, from Jesus’, Stephen’s, and Paul’s example, we see a principle. When someone commits a wrong against us, Heaven takes note. God, who loves justice (Isaiah 61:8), is prepared to administer justice. But it would seem that He listens to His children. When we are wronged, we can petition Heaven’s court and either ask for justice or mercy upon those who harmed us. Ultimately, it is Heaven’s decision. But God delights to listen to His children.

How does that make you feel knowing that God is ready to hear whether you want justice or mercy for those who have wronged you? Again, He makes the final call, but He delights to listen to what we desire.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you cultivate a love for justice with a love for mercy.
  • Ask God to help you know what to ask for when you are wronged; and then trust God’s justice after He hears our request.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into the power of Jesus’ words on the cross, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“Why did Jesus say ‘Father, forgive them’ on the cross?”

Sharing

If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.

____________________

Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)