May 3, 2026
Acts 7:55–60 and John 14:1–14
Theme: Seeing Christ, even in the Hard Places
Today’s readings bring us into two very different moments-one filled with conflict and violence, the other filled with comfort and promise. Yet both point us to the same truth: Christ is present, and Christ is our help in every circumstance.
Acts 7 brings us into the final moments of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stephen was one of the seven chosen to serve the early church, known for his wisdom, compassion, and fullness of the Holy Spirit. In this chapter, he delivers a powerful speech before the Sanhedrin, retelling Israel’s history and showing how God’s people repeatedly resisted God’s messengers. His words challenge the religious leaders, who respond with anger rather than repentance.
Luke records that as the tension reaches its peak, Stephen is given a divine vision: he sees the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God-a posture of advocacy and welcome. This vision strengthens him even as the crowd drags him out and stones him. Stephen’s final words echo Jesus Himself: he prays for his persecutors and entrusts his spirit to God.
Acts 7 is not only the story of Stephen’s death; it is the story of courage, forgiveness, and the unshakable presence of Christ, even in the hardest moments.
In Luke’s narrative, we meet Stephen at the moment of his martyrdom. The stones are rising, the crowd is furious, and everything around him looks like failure. Yet Scripture says, “Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” v.55. In the moment when life was at its hardest, Stephen saw Christ most clearly.
And then we turn to John’s Gospel. Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. Their hearts are troubled, anxious, uncertain. And into that fear Jesus speaks words that have carried generations of believers: “Do not let your hearts be troubled… I go to prepare a place for you.” vv.1-3. He promises not abandonment, but presence; not confusion, but direction; not despair, but hope.
In Acts, Stephen sees Christ standing for him. In the gospel, the disciples hear Christ promising to come again for them. And we, today, are invited to trust that Christ is with us, too.
But here’s the challenge: we often see the stones more clearly than the Savior. We see the problems, the losses, the disappointments, the unanswered questions. We see what is broken long before we see what is blessed.
And that is where the old hymn “Count Your Many Blessings” written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897, with the tune composed by Edwin O. Excell, speaks with surprising power. The hymnology Archive notes that the hymn’s message is intentionally to teach believers that “The best way to fight discouragement is to look for God’s blessings of life each day.”The hymn doesn’t deny hardship. It doesn’t pretend life is easy. Instead, it gently teaches a spiritual discipline: Look again. Look deeper. Look for God’s hand. The hymn reminds us that blessings are not always loud or dramatic. Sometimes they are quiet and easily overlooked-like breath in our lungs, strength for the day, waking up and dressing without someone else’s support, a friend who checks in, a church that prays, a Savior who walks with us.
Luke reminds us that Stephen, even in suffering, saw Christ standing beside him. The disciples, even in fear, heard Christ preparing a place for them. And we, even in our own challenges, are invited to count the signs of God’s goodness and faithfulness that surround us.
Remember that when we count our blessings, we are not ignoring our struggles. We are re-training our eyes to see Christ in the midst of our struggles.
When we count our blessings, we are not pretending life is perfect. We are remembering that God is present, even when life is full of struggles.
When we count our blessings, we are not minimizing our pain. We are declaring that pain does not get the final word-Christ does.
Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (v. 6). Not just the way to heaven someday, but the way through today. Not just the truth of doctrine, but the truth that steadies a troubled heart. Not just life eternal, but life abundant, even now on earth.
So, my dear siblings in Christ, when the stones of life feel heavy… When our heart feels troubled… When the path ahead seems unclear… Pause. Take a deep breathe. Look again. And begin to count the blessings that God has placed around us.
This morning we are invited to: Count the blessing of God’s presence. Count the blessing of Christ’s promise. Count the blessing of the Spirit’s strength. Count the blessing of a community that loves each other. Count the blessing that Christ stands with us, just as He stood with Stephen.
And as we count, we will discover what Stephen discovered and what the disciples learned: Christ is nearer than we think. Christ is stronger than what we fear. Christ is faithful in every season.
May we see Christ, trust Him, and follow Him with grateful hearts as we count our blessings even in the hard times.