HIS BLOOD
Acts
7:54-60 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory
of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said,
"I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of
God." ...While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord,
do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
An
evangelist said: "A little girl of eight years was sent on an errand by
her parents. While on her way, she was attracted by the singing of a gospel
meeting in the open air, and drew near. The conductor of the meeting was so
struck with the child's earnestness that he spoke to her, and told her about
Jesus. She being the child of Roman Catholics did not know much about Him, but
the gentleman told her of His love to her. On returning home her father asked
her what had detained her. She told him, and he cruelly beat her, forbidding
her to go to any such meeting again. About a fortnight afterwards, she was so
taken up with what she had previously heard of Jesus, that she forgot all about
her message. She saw the same gentleman, who again told her more about the
Savior. On her return home, she again told her father, as before, where she had
been and that she had not brought what she had been sent for, but that she had
brought Jesus. Her father was enraged, and kicked the poor little creature
until the blood came. She never recovered from this brutal treatment. Just
before she breathed her last, she called her mother and said: 'Mother, I have
been praying to Jesus to save you and father.' Then pointing to her little
dress, she said: 'Mother, cut me a bit out of the bloodstained piece of my
dress.' The mother, wondering, did so. 'Now', said the dying child, 'Christ
shed His blood for my sake, and I am going to take this to Jesus to show Him
that I shed my blood for His sake.' Thus she died, holding firmly the piece of
her dress, stained with her own blood. The testimony of that dear child was the
means of leading both father and mother to Christ. iv
Prayer: May my life and death reflect a faith in you that no one could deny. Let your blood cleanse me of fear and doubt. May it strengthen me to withstand whatever this unbelieving world brings my way. Amen.
