“When they heard this they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.” Acts 7:54
In Acts chapter 7 Stephen confronts the religious, establishment zealots with God’s truth. God’s story was his story. And the self-righteous religious leaders didn’t like it. They were so angry in fact that they gnashed their teeth. Have you ever been so angry at someone that you gnashed your teeth? It makes a grinding sound and can cause damage to your teeth. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, we’re told, in hell.
It is safe to say they were furious at Stephen when he confronted them with God’s truth. Furious enough to stone Stephen to death for telling his story and challenging theirs.
Is your story His story? Are you living for His glory? When grace meets God’s truth the result is a transformation that causes our story to become His story.
The problem with the Jewish establishment, and with many of us, is that our story is our story. Many people spend their lives trying to arrive at this place on their own terms, out of their own resources rather than God’s. The result is legalism. Religion. A religion not based on God’s truth.
God’s truth penetrates. Truth cuts right to the heart. Truth speaks to where we are. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
God’s truth also separates. Some folks try to analyze where they are in life, what they need to do, how they need to live. But God’s truth separates opinions and analysis from the word of God. Your analysis will never measure up to what God’s word says.
And God’s truth obligates. When we hear God’s truth, when we earnestly seek His glory we become convicted to live out His truth in our lives.
Prayer: Gracious Heavenly Father, thank You for Your truth. Thank You that Your truth leads us to seek Your glory and not the glory of man. Thank You that because we seek Your truth we have a story that is Your story. Draw us into Your presence each day so we will seek Your glory above everything else. In Jesus precious name we pray. Amen.