Mourn the Godly Dead
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- May 2
- 2 min read
Rev. Enoch Thompson | May 3 2025 | Acts 8:1-2
KEY VERSE: “Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.” Acts 8:2 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
The Christian faith teaches that those who die in Christ rest from their labours, behold their Lord’s face, and sleep in His presence. Christians are to mourn for their dead as a people who have hope in their future glorious resurrection, in which we shall be reunited with them. All these beliefs and convictions notwithstanding, we feel a deep loss when our godly loved ones depart this earthly life. Christian faith does not take away the Christian responsibility to mourn our dead brothers and sisters.
The Early Church mourned the death of Stephen. We are not given the details of the expenses that went into the funeral, nor the ceremonies that attended it. But we can be sure that the memory of Stephen’s powerful preaching, teaching and miraculous ministry was celebrated. We can be sure that the Church thanked God for a life well-lived, though maybe short. The love Stephen showed to the members of the Church, and the sign of true conversion that he represented, would all have come into the fore in his funeral.
We will mourn the godly dead and remember to live so that when we depart this world, people will not find it difficult to mourn us.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
You will not die now, but will people have a valid reason to mourn when you are departed? Will people truly feel a sense of loss if you are no longer to serve in your current job or your current location? Will people miss you as their boss or as their subordinate?
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for a man like Stephen, whose death provoked deep mourning among your people. Lord, please help me live to be loved and deeply mourned in death, to your glory. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 123: Judges 8 - Gideon’s Final Victory and Death
DAILY word study: MOURNED
The word translated “mourned” in Acts 8:2 is the Greek koptomai, from koptō, meaning to strike or beat. It referred to the visible, emotional grief of tearing clothes or beating the chest — not quiet sadness, but deep, public sorrow.
In Acts 8:2, “Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. "This phrase doesn’t describe quiet sadness. It reflects a sacred lament—a grief that moved through the community with deep reverence for Stephen’s life and witness. The Church didn’t suppress sorrow—they embraced it. Mourning became a way to honour the life and testimony of one who had faithfully served Christ to the end.
Reflection:
True mourning says: “We saw Christ in you — and we feel your absence now.” Let your life today carry the kind of meaning that draws genuine tears tomorrow, not just because you died, but because of how you lived
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