Good Morning Friends,
In our Presbyterian life together, elders often carry the authority, but deacons carry the growth. Their ministry of service, mercy, and practical care becomes a living witness to Christ. Today in scripture we meet Stephen—the first deacon—whose signs and wisdom revealed the Spirit’s power. And we meet Jesus, who exposes the crowd’s motives after the feeding miracle and calls them to a deeper hunger. Both passages remind us that the Gospel is proclaimed with words and with lives shaped by grace. So we ask: How Can We Best Be a Witness to the Work of God in Us?
Scripture Summaries
Acts 6:8–15 Stephen, “full of grace and power,” performs signs that provoke opposition. His opponents cannot withstand the Spirit’s wisdom in him, so they resort to false accusations. Yet even under pressure, Stephen’s face reflects God’s presence—“like the face of an angel.”
John 6:22–29 After the feeding miracle, the crowd seeks Jesus for more bread, not for the sign that pointed to Him. Jesus redirects them: do not labor for perishable food, but for the eternal life the Son gives. When they ask what “works” God requires, Jesus answers with one: believe in the One He has sent.
Psalm 119:23–30 The psalmist clings to God’s Word amid opposition and sorrow. God’s statutes revive, guide, and strengthen. Choosing faithfulness means turning from false ways and delighting in God’s truth.
Matthew 7:21–23 Jesus teaches that calling Him “Lord” is not the same as obeying Him. Many will point to impressive religious activity—prophecy, miracles, ministry—but Jesus exposes the heart: true disciples are known by Him and do the Father’s will. Those who rely on their work rather than a relationship with Jesus hear the devastating words, “I never knew you.”
Message: We often assume that God’s work in us must be complicated—many tasks, many duties, many spiritual achievements. But Jesus reduces the question to one thing: the work of God is that we believe. It is not an external act but an internal reality that connects us to a relation with Jesus.That the God of love has come to live in us in the person of the Holy Spirit should give us a clue as to what we must prioritize. Not because belief is easy, but because it reorders everything else.Our problem is that we instinctively trust what feels weighty—politics, economics, productivity—more than the quiet miracle of a transformed heart. We labor for “food that perishes,” imagining that doing more will make us more spiritual. But Jesus insists that being comes before doing. True works flow from true belief.When we believe, we inevitably ask, “Lord, what would You have me do?” And God’s answer always begins with character before activity: love, integrity, reliability, fairness, humility, generosity. These are not small things. They are the everyday ways we make Jesus beautiful to those who do not yet know Him. So yes—do your work well. Keep promises. Offer ideas that build up. Serve with steadiness and grace. But let all of it be rooted in a deep, Spirit‑given belief in Jesus. That belief becomes the witness. That belief becomes the light. That belief becomes the love that shapes every action.
And So, the chief end of humanity is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. And the first step toward that purpose—the step without which nothing else holds—is to believe in the One the Father has sent…to believe in Jesus in a way that not only makes him known to us but us known to Him.
Pray we recognize Jesus Himself as the greatest miracle. Pray we hunger for the life He offers. Pray for the fullness of God revealed in Him. Pray for grace that lifts us above discouragement and strengthens our faith. Pray for the victory that makes belief possible. Pray that our belief becomes a living witness—rooted in love, shaped by the Spirit, and pleasing to God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 