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

Friday, April 11, 2025

[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

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

4 Related Resources by Heartlight

Deeply Broken to Lead Through Hard Futures
Devo: Unstoppable!
"[In his defense, Stephen continued to tell the story of Moses:] "So God sent back [to Egypt] the same man his people had previously rejected when they..."
God’s Deliverers Are People like Us
Devo: Unstoppable!
"[Stephen continued his defense before the council by quoting what God said to Moses when calling him back to Egypt to save God's people:] "'I have..."
Traveling Mercies: Broken Dreams?
Article by Phil Ware
Are those old broken dreams really gone? Phil Ware continues a series of messages called Traveling Mercies focusing on Moses and his journey from broken dreams to having those dreams realized in his life.
Turning our Hearts Back to Egypt?
Article by Russ Lawson
Are you looking back or straining to what's ahead? Sometimes we find ourselves unhappy with where we are and look back to the good ol' days just like Israel did in turning their hearts back to Egypt.

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."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, April 11, 2025

Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Holy and Blameless' (1 Th. 2:5-12)
"Dear Father, Keep all your preachers from using words of flattery, any cloak of greed, or from seeking glory for themselves, even though they have..."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
Proverbs 4:27
"Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."
Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
Isaiah 43:1
"But now, this is what the LORD says — he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name;..."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'A Clear Command'
"Dear Lover of God, During My earthly ministry, I was asked: "which commandment is the greatest?" (Matthew 22:36). Quoting Old Testament Scriptures,....."

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.

More Unstoppable!