Unstoppable! 'God Uses Wounded Healers' — Acts 7:35-38

Thursday, April 11, 2024

[Stephen reminded his adversaries of the kind of leader Moses was:] "So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior. And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.

"Moses himself told the people of Israel, 'God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.' Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God's people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us."

— Acts 7:35-38 NLT

Key Thought

Moses promised the Israelites that the Lord, YAHWEH, would send them a prophet like himself (Deuteronomy 18:15). This prophet would be someone they rejected, but he would be validated and empowered by God. This future liberator, of whom Moses spoke and whom we know as Jesus, was with God's people in the wilderness and spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. Jesus was, is, and always will be the eternal and pre-existent God. He came to us, lived among us, and died for us. Like Moses, Jesus is our wounded, yet triumphantly validated, leader. Unlike Moses, Jesus is God. We obey Jesus' voice, and we honor his will with our lives. While Moses was great, Jesus has no equal (Luke 9:28-36; Ephesians 1:21-22).

Today's Prayer

Abba Father, the great "I AM," who is and was and is to come, I thank you. Thank you for coming to our broken world in Jesus. Thank you for bearing in your body the scars of being rejected by people like us. Thank you for loving us and forgiving us despite being rejected. Thank you for your faithfulness to us when we have been fickle. Thank you, O God, for your promise of a future with you. Thank you for being our wounded healer, our eternal God, and the hope for our future. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • John 8:31-58
  • Isaiah 53:1-12

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Illustration

Illustration of Acts 7:35-38 NLT — [Stephen reminded his adversaries of the kind of leader Moses was:] "So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior. And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years. "Moses himself told the people of Israel, 'God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.' Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God's people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us."

About This Devotional

Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.

Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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