Blogathon2012: #21 - "He only had eyes for God."

Acts 7: 54b-60 (The Message)

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, "Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God's side!"

 ^57-58Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them.

 ^59-60As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for this sin"—his last words. Then he died.

Can you even imagine being Stephen, stones and curses being flung at you, but being conscious of only one thing: God. 

In that one moment, the eternal and temporal met and fused for Stephen. And he found completeness. Satisfaction. Peace.

"Master, take my life." He had seen God in His glory and there was no turning back.

I have not had Stephen's experience, so unique, so painful, so glorious.

But I have had a time when my moments with God were all-consuming, the temporal met the eternal, and that experience founded a well that I have drawn from extensively in 'desert' times.

I need to build on that foundation, slowly and gloriously. Instead of digging deep into that well, I want to sip daily from His cup of life.

This is my desire.

One day too, I will see Him in all His glory and my life will be complete. My eyes will be fixated on Him and His glory, like Stephen.

Listen to Sandi Patty sing "We Shall Behold Him".