TRAITS OF A DEVOUT MAN
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.Acts 8:2
A devout man may have the following qualities:
(a) They have courage to do his work. Saul was persecuting the church. He was the reason for the death of Stephen. The people who carried Stephen’s body, in the above verse, is called in the word of god as the devout men. They were brave and did not care even for their life though there is threat to their lives as there is Saul observing all these things.
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone : which is the second death. Revelation 21:8”
(b) Devout man cannot control his desire to do God’s work. They will be guided by the spirit of God and therefore, they shall act in the work of God with their inner-directions of the God. They will not wait for the directions of the people to do His work. In the above context, they acted on their own. No other person was present to give them any direction.
(c) They shall have compassion on their fellow believers. People cry for their kith and kin. But, they cannot cry for his fellow being. But, here they lamented for a god’s servant. The same compassion can be observed in our Lord.
“Where have ye laid him ? They say unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. “ John 11:34-35. Jesus wept for his loved one-Lazarus!
(d) A devotee shall have fellowship with his church. His desire shall be with the church. He will never try to be identified among the people. He does everything for the Lord with the church( with all the believers).
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:42”
In the above verse, you may see all together carried the body of Stephen. A devotee shall have unity with the fellow believers.