I Peter 2:6-8 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

We recently put pavers in our backyard. The corner block had to be in the right place. Everything else was based on its placement in our yard. If the other pavers hadn’t lined up with the corner block, they would have either ruined the rest of the yard or they would have needed adjustment, along with every other brick they messed up.

Jesus is the cornerstone in the house of God. Peter tells us that those who believe in Christ, those who are in line with His Word and will, will never be put to shame. They trust in Christ. Thus, everything they do is based off of His teachings, sacrifice, and resurrection. Because the Holy Spirit has lined them up with Christ by giving them faith, they will have a place firmly set in the household of God.

However, many stumble over the cornerstone. There are those who do not line up with Jesus. They refuse to lay their bricks in line with the cornerstone, and in their pride, nearly bring destruction to the household of God. For them, the cornerstone is a cause of stumbling and destruction.

Verses like these ought to drive us to our knees in prayer. We need to repent for the thoughts, words, and deeds in our lives that are out of line with God’s will. The good news is that such prayers are answered by God’s promise of forgiveness which brings us back in line with Christ!

Father, forgive me for stumbling over Christ by trying to line up apart from your will. Teach me to repent and trust the Stone rejected by the builders is my Savior. AMEN

*The symbol on the top of this devotional stands for “Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum.” It is a Latin phrase which means “The Word of the Lord endures forever.” This phrase, based on I Peter 1:24-25, served as the battle cry of the Lutheran reformers as it reminded them that God’s Word alone was sufficient to teach them God’s will. The symbol was on flags, banners, uniforms, and even swords as a sign of unity among those who suffered for confessing their faith in Christ alone. *
Pastor Bob

Labels: word-remains-forever