God's Holy Fire: 'You Squander It!'

Sunday, September 13, 2026

[In his defense before the Sanhedrin, Stephen said,] "And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, you're just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn't get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you've kept up the family tradition — traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God's Law handed to you by angels — gift-wrapped! — and you squandered it!"
— Acts 7:51-53 MSG

Key Thought

These are harsh words that Stephen uttered to the religious mob that was about to kill him. Stephen's concern was not for his own safety or acceptance, but for the message that God's people refused to hear. They were rejecting the message of God just like their ancestors did. When the Holy Spirit inspires a message, we are no different than they were if we refuse to respond with heartfelt change. We are given God's message of truth and grace, but we squander that grace if we ignore the call to align our lives with it. Let's seek to hear God's message for us, then ask the Holy Spirit who inspired that message to empower it to come alive in us!

Today's Prayer

O God, help me hear your Spirit-inspired message and then respond with conviction and passion so that I can have your will come alive in my thoughts, words, and behavior. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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4 Related Resources by Heartlight

Rejecting the Message of God's Spirit
Devo: Unstoppable!
"[Stephen moved from reviewing Jewish history in response to the accusation against him to challenging his accusers by saying,] "You stubborn people!....."
Resisting the Holy Spirit?
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"[Stephen said to the Sanhedrin,] "You stubborn people! You are heathens at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what..."
Stubborn People
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"[Stephen, in his defense before the Sanhedrin:] "You stubborn people! You are heathens at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit?...."
The Spirit of Grace Under Fire
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"Dear Believer, Today I want to give you a glimpse of My servant, Stephen. In the verses below, you will see how he followed My example when faced..."

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 7:51-53 MSG — "And you continue, so bullheaded!"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, September 13, 2026

Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Chosen for God's Purposes' (Acts 13:16-20)
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'Satan Will Be Punished Forever' (Re. 20:9-10)
"And Satan’s army marched across the earth and gathered around the camp of God’s people and the city God loves. But fire came down from heaven and..."
What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'Winning at Their Games' (Jn. 10:34-36)
"Jesus replied [to the Jews], "It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, 'I say, you are gods!' And you know..."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
Ephesians 4:26-27
"In your anger do not sin : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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