Author: Nathaniel Colt

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Read: Acts 7:51–60

Stephen was falsely accused and punished. Most people would cry out for help, be scared, or even fight back. What happened to Stephen wasn’t fair. The Jewish leaders were angry about the truth Stephen said, and it cost him his life. As the leaders shook their fists in rage, Stephen looked into heaven and saw Jesus. Stephen kept his eyes on God’s glory as they dragged him away. The Jewish leaders threw stones at him, but Stephen stood firm in Jesus. He didn’t lose faith. Stephen had given his heart to God. Because of that, he finished well. His life ended as he stood firm in the Lord. His commitment was more powerful than any stone that the religious leaders threw at him.

What does it mean to finish well? Why is it important? One of the most important parts of our faith journey is how it ends. Anyone can begin, but only the committed stand firm to the end. As Christians, we can finish well because we know there is a better, eternal world to come. We know that the end on earth isn’t really the end because this world isn’t our home. Stephen knew this truth. He faced death powerfully and left a lasting witness for us. If Stephen could stand firm to the end of his life, we can too.

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Read: Acts 6:2–15

The apostles needed to concentrate on teaching the Word of God. Because of this, they needed to choose people to help with the ministry. One man they chose was Stephen. The Bible says that he was “full of faith and the Holy Spirit.” Not only did he help run the food program, but he also helped to spread the message of Jesus. He was committed to the work and to sharing the gospel.

Stephen did miracles and signs among the people by the power of God. He was also full of wisdom. When people tried to argue with Stephen about Jesus, nobody could stand against the Holy Spirit working through him. Stephen was faithful in all things, even when he was falsely accused of saying untrue things about God and arrested. Why was he able to stand firm? Because he was committed to Jesus. It didn’t matter what duty he was assigned to or where he was. He did it all for Jesus.

What are the assignments that God has created for you? Your tasks could be helping a friend in need or raising money for a missionary. Maybe you have been called to hand out snacks for the little kids at church or give an answer for what Jesus has done for you. God gives us opportunities every single day.

Stephen ran a food program, gave a powerful witness for Jesus, performed miracles and signs, and pointed others to Jesus. Stephen’s commitment wasn’t because he wanted to impress others. His commitment came from his heart for God. When commitment comes from the heart, you can hold on when other things make you want to quit—when you get made fun of, when someone falsely accuses you, or when people don’t understand your love for Jesus. We can be faithful during hard times through praying, reading God’s Word, and worshipping. The Holy Spirit will help us to stand firm.

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Read: 1 Corinthians 9:24–27

When planning a race like a marathon, people go out before the race to mark out the path all the runners will travel. These people make sure that the path is carefully marked out for the runners. The runners receive a map of the course, but they may not know exactly what will be on each part of the trail. Athletes must trust the path that was created for them and follow it. If they decide to turn a different way or go off the path, they could hurt themselves or even be disqualified from the race.

Our life as a Christian is a lot like a race. The path is already marked out for us because God has decided the right and wrong way for people to live. He knows every twist and turn that will come, and He knows how to lead us so we can complete the race. If we don’t trust Him and decide to go our own way, we could harm ourself and be separated from God. But if we run with purpose, we trust God’s leading and take steps that lead to His finish line. If we finish the race, we will receive the final prize of eternal life with Him.

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Read: Psalm 139:1–10

Who in your life knows you really, really well? Maybe you have a best friend who knows you well enough to finish your sentences. Or maybe your parents or guardians understand how you think so well that they’ve stopped you from doing something before you even started. It’s amazing how well other people can know us.

That idea becomes even more powerful when we realize that God is always with us. The author of this psalm, King David, understood how God is always with us. Even though you may not be able to see Him, we can trust God’s presence is always there through the Holy Spirit. God knows us far better than anyone else could. God is not only always with us and knows everything about us, but He’s always there to help exactly how we need.

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Read: John 4:51–54

Imagine that you want to cook something, so you look in a cookbook to find the recipe you want to make. You know that if you don’t follow the directions, the food may not come out quite right, and it could taste pretty bad. But because you trusted the recipe and followed the directions, the food comes out of the oven looking fantastic and tasting amazing. You get to eat it, and the rest of your family gets to enjoy it too!

As you follow God’s directions and trust Him to lead you, even in difficult times, not only your life can be changed. The lives of those around you may also be changed. Because the father in this Bible story believed what Jesus said and followed His directions, his son was healed. Even more, his entire household chose to believe in Jesus. God’s directions are for you, but He sees the big picture. When you trust and follow Him, your life will be changed, and you will influence the people around you too!

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Read: John 4:43–50

This government official in our Bible reading had probably heard about Jesus’ power to work in impossible situations. The man was so worried that his son would die that he had traveled to a nearby town to ask Jesus to come. He believed that Jesus could heal his son. After the man begged Jesus to come home with him and heal his son, Jesus told him to go home because his son would live! When Jesus spoke to him about his son, everything changed. The official didn’t question Jesus or hesitate. Verse 50 says, “The man believed what Jesus said and started home.”

We know that Jesus has power to do the impossible. That means, even in our hardest problems, He has all power. God wants us to have the kind of faith this man did. When God says something, we believe Him, and we do what He says. We don’t have to question Him or wait to obey. We can trust what God tells us and trust in His power.

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Read: John 11:28–45

Can you imagine what it might have been like to be there on the day that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead? Mary and Martha were sad because of their brother’s death. They had been waiting on Jesus to get there. Some people there said things like, “Well, Jesus healed a blind man. If He had been here, couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” The place was filled with sadness and doubt. Even though Jesus didn’t come when people thought He should, He had a plan. He wanted people to see the glory of God. Imagine the reaction people must have had when they saw Lazarus walk out of the tomb alive!

When we remember, there are times that God has done things for us that only He can do. There are times when we’ve had pain and sadness, and God has shown up to help us. Even though He may work in a different way this time, we can trust His timing and His ability to solve our problems. He has always been faithful to us, and He won’t stop.

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Read: James 1:2–4

Good things can come from enduring tough times. Sports team members have to endure intense practices to get in and stay in shape. Through running, lifting weights, and other exercises, they prepare for upcoming seasons. Sometimes, some athletes quit. But those who endure through the exercises get into the physical shape needed to compete in their sport. Keeping up the challenging workouts means that they come out better in the end.

Sometimes, God allows us to endure challenges and troubles in life, too. In those times, we learn to trust Him more. Our faith in God can grow through those problems. We don’t always know God’s reasons for letting us go through rough times. But we can trust that when we follow Him, we will grow in our relationship with God and be better for it in the end.