Inspiration Wey God Kwere Nkwa

Monday, December 26, 2022

Saint Stephen, di First Martyr—Feast
Day Two for di Octave of Christmas, December 26

Listen for English

“When dem hand una over, make una no worry about how una go talk or wetin una go talk. For that very moment, una go receive wetin una go talk. Because no be una go dey talk, but na di Spirit of una Father go dey talk through una.” Matthew 10:19–20

These words of our Lord come happen for di life of Saint Stephen, di Church first martyr. Dem kill Saint Stephen as martyr about two years after Jesus go up to Heaven. E be one of di seven deacons wey di Apostles appoint to help dem for their work of caring for poor people as di Church begin grow.

Stephen na man wey get deep faith, and Holy Spirit fill am. After dem appoint am as deacon, e begin preach with boldness. Among di people wey dey listen to am, some na members of di synagogue of Jews wey dey speak Greek and follow Greek culture. Stephen argue with dem well-well, and e show say e full of wisdom and power as e perform plenty signs and wonders among dem. But this one only make di people wey dey listen to am vex reach di point wey dem begin find how to kill am. Because of this, dem lie say Stephen dey preach against di Temple and di Law of Moses.

For di Acts of di Apostles (Acts 7:2–53), Stephen answer dem with one long talk wey get plenty details, and e use di Old Testament explain di full truth about Jesus. Stephen end im talk by saying, “Una stubborn people, wey una heart and ear no get circumcision, una dey always oppose di Holy Spirit; una just be like una ancestors.” This one make di people wey dey listen to am for di synagogue vex even more. After this, something wey truly be miracle happen. Stephen see one vision. E look up to Heaven and talk say, “See, I dey see di heavens open and di Son of Man dey stand for di right hand of God.” E see im Lord dey stand for di right hand of di Father. And na when e announce this vision, di crowd wey don vex finally drag am comot from di synagogue and di city, and stone am till e die. But Stephen story end for one beautiful way wey God inspire. As di crowd dey stone am, e talk two powerful things. First, e talk say, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then e pray with loud voice, “Lord, no hold this sin against dem.”

As we don talk above, di words wey our Lord talk for di Gospel today come happen for di life of Saint Stephen. First of all, we see say wetin Jesus talk ahead of time, say their own people go hand some of Im followers over make dem kill dem, come happen for di life of Saint Stephen. But Jesus still promise say when this one happen, “For that very moment, una go receive wetin una go talk.” And na di Spirit of di Father go dey “talk through una.” Na exactly wetin happen to Saint Stephen be that. First, e receive one glorious vision of Heaven. Second, God inspire am to surrender im spirit fully to Jesus. And third, God inspire am to pray for di people wey dey persecute am and forgive dem. These words and actions no come from Stephen alone. Dem fulfil di promise wey Jesus make, say when dem persecute person because of di Gospel, di Father go dey with that person for special way and give am powerful inspiration for di very moment wey e need am.

Today, think deeply about this great truth: God no dey ever abandon us. In fact, when we dey suffer pass, or we dey endure persecution, rejection or any kind of bad treatment, God dey with us for special way. Look your own life and think about those moments wey hard pass for you. Pray to Saint Stephen and ask am to pray for you, so that you go dey ready to receive di words and do di actions wey our Lord go inspire for you when you need dem pass.

Saint Stephen wey get great glory, abeg pray for me. Pray for me especially when I dey carry di heaviest crosses for my life. Pray make I, like you, dey ready to receive God inspiration and grace for those times wey I need dem pass. St. Stephen, pray for me. Jesus, na You I trust.

See our Christmas resources!

Meditations on Scripture