Precious In His Sight!

Stephen is on trial and boldly preaching the Gospel to the Sanhedrin. His sermon begins in the book of Genesis. His survey of the Old Testament highlights the problem with his accusers’ hearts. Israel is known for its stubbornness and rebellion. It is also known for persecuting and killing the prophets God sent to it. 

As Stephen ends His sermon, he does something that gets him killed like the prophets before him. He makes a direct application to his hearers. With boldness, he says: “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. (Acts 7:51–52, NLT)

What stood out to me in the reading this morning was the posture of Jesus. As Stephen looked up, God allowed him to see through the veil into another dimension, and he saw Jesus standing. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56, ESV) This is interesting because Jesus is mentioned numerous times in the New Testament as being seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 8:1, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 12:2). The death of Stephen was precious, and it was something that He stood for.

Wow! Imagine God standing to receive his saints into Glory. What a reception given since He doesn’t stand for anything else! What a thought to remember that though this world persecutes and rejects the Christian, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15, ESV)


Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Acts 7-8.

To the end, and beyond!

Today, we finish the book of Deuteronomy, which is the end of Moses’ Pentateuch. We also come to the end of Moses’ life and Israel’s time in the wilderness. As I read these closing chapters, I couldn’t help but notice God. Notice the final moments of Moses’ life and this strange yet beautiful and moving picture of God.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.” So Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, just as the LORD had said. The LORD buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. (Deuteronomy 34:4–6, NLT) 

Here is God, alone with Moses, talking to him as with a friend, talking Moses through the last and final act. It’s a quiet, serene, mountain-top moment. At this point, Moses is released from his responsibility for Israel. His life’s work is done. Yet, while disobedience prevented him from entering the land of promise, his faith became sight! God shows Moses the Promised Land! Then the Bible says that he dies, and notice God personally buries His servant and friend. This moment reminds me of another verse in the Psalms.

The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die. (Psalm 116:15, NLT)

Believers, what other gods of this earth can be likened unto the LORD God when we come to our final moment like Moses? Is there another god that cares this deeply? No! Only the LORD God cares all the way down to the end. Another verse in the New Testament that pictures this perfectly comes to mind.

The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, (Luke 16:22, ESV)

Believers, we have a God who not only walks and talks us through this life but also talks us through our final victory when our faith becomes sight—when we die. All other gods of this world abandon their followers to die alone, in fear and despair. But not our God! What a God! He is with us personally, all the way to the end and beyond!


Thank you for joining with me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Deuteronomy 32:1-34:12; Psalm 90.