My daughter just turned 12 today. She started writing devotions last year, so I wanted to highlight one of her devotions today. This is one of my favorites :)

Fall Asleep

Hannah's Devotion

 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did… Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute… When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”…Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:51-60

Have you ever had a brother or sister say, “You’re always doing this, or you’re always doing that”?  Do you want to get even? Have you ever felt that what they are saying is true? Do you resist doing what’s right? Fall asleep to yourself and to what you want.

Stephen knew what he was saying when he said that they always resisted the Holy Spirit as their fathers did. They were so wicked that Stephen asked them, “Which of the prophets did your fathers NOT persecute?”  It’s kind of like what’s happening in some parts of our world today – people are being persecuted for passing out gospel tracts and preaching.

I never knew what it meant to follow Christ until recently. It said that after they (the judges and the high priests) heard Stephen, they were cut to the heart and gnashed there teeth at him. But instead of whining or complaining or calling them names, he looked up to heaven and said “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” That encourages me to overlook the sin and love the brother. And when people call me names or are mean or my feelings get hurt, I am encouraged to look up to heaven and talk to God. Then I can “fall asleep” and die to myself and my wants.

To answer the previous question, “Do you resist doing what’s right?” try to obey what God or your parents say even if it sounds strange. Think about the Israelites who God told to march around the walls of Jericho and then they’d fall down. That sounded strange, but they did it, and the walls fell down.

 Hannah Wuehler

Age 11