Sometimes we cause our own troubles, and tragically for those who refuse to turn to Jesus, the troubles are not achieving a glory that outweighs them all.
Israel wanted a king. Their motive was not good. They wanted to be like the other nations around them. This was the very opposite of what God had commanded. They were supposed to be different to the nations, to show the nations how good God is. But instead, they want to just blend in and go the world’s way. This is a rejection of God as king, and Samuel warns them that it will be costly for them. Their response, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like the nations.” (1 Samuel 8:19).
The rejection of wanting God to rule is nothing new, it first happened in Genesis 3, and as Stephen shows in his speech in Acts 7, it often involved rejecting the leaders that God has appointed. They rejected Joseph (7:9)selling him as a slave, they rejected Moses (7:35) and Stephen concludes his defence by saying:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One” (7:51).
It’s so sad when people reject God from ruling over them, and it’s even worse when it happens among those who claim to be God’s people. They bring awful trouble on themselves.
But look how different it is for Stephen. You may say he brought the trouble on himself by speaking about Jesus and challenging others about their sin. The troubles were significant, they cost him his life, and yet his troubles were light and momentary compared to the glory that was coming!
He got to see heaven opened! He got to see Jesus, and wonderfully we are told Jesus was standing, was he standing to welcome into glory His first martyr? It’s a beautiful picture, here among the brokenness of awful rejection of God, Stephen is being welcomed by Jesus. And even in his death, Stephen has become like his saviour, praying that the Lord may have mercy on those responsible.
And as we’ll see in the coming chapters, the Lord wonderfully answered Stephen’s prayer by rescuing Saul.
Where is your heart today? Are you rejecting God’s rule by wanting to be like the world and go the world’s way? This may be bring short term relief but will ultimately lead to awful trouble. Or are you seeking to go God’s way, knowing that even if this brings short term trouble, you can know God is at work for your eternal good?
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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