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.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

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?
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"[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
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"[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
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"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

Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'I Will Not be Shaken' (Ps. 62:5-7)
"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My..."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Despised?'
"Dear Disciple, During My earthly ministry, I warned My disciples that following Me would not be easy. The words you read in the verses below were..."
Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
Ecclesiastes 11:5
"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by D.L. Moody:
"Many a professing Christian is a stumbling-block because his worship is divided. On Sunday he worships God; on week days God has little or no place in his..."

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.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations