The Word of God is dynamic. It is powerful. It is Divine. Yes, it is God’s Word and His words. God’s words will never stop. It will guide and help humans and show us where the right path is forever.

If the Bible were people’s words, the clever people would’ve explained everything a long time ago and Bibles would just be gathering dust. But now God is speaking the Word. Precisely because of this, no one can put the last full stop, close it, and put it away.

In the words of the Old Testament, promises are made about the future. In the New Testament, the story is told of these promises coming true. In Isaiah 28:11 it is predicted that a cornerstone will be laid in God’s new world.

We all know this came true in Bethlehem and was confirmed at Calvary and the empty tomb. ⁶The Scriptures provide precedent: Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it.

God planned a new house. The house of the Old Testament with its many rules had to be renovated. No, actually the entire building had to be torn down and rebuilt. And the plans were completely new.

God’s new house looks very different and for this God needed a special cornerstone on which all the following stones would be built. Jesus was the chosen one. He laid down His life as the first stone in God’s new house.

But a house is not built with just one brick. There are many of them. Every believer is one of the bricks in God’s house. We each play a very important role in God’s house. If we don’t, God’s house is not finished.

We do not always realise what role we have to play. It’s a big responsibility to make sure that God’s house looks right and that there are no holes in it that cause the people inside to get cold.

It is a great privilege to build the house of God with Jesus. Yes, God regards each of us so highly that He allows us to be part of His house. Because Jesus is the cornerstone, each of us is worthy and good enough to be built into God’s house.

On our own, we’re too crooked. On our own, we’re too sinful. It’s only because we are built into God’s house next to Jesus that we become worthy. When we are weak, when we think we’re not good enough, we must remember we are built in next to Jesus and precisely because of that we are extremely valuable.

Let us then live as worthy ones. Let us make a difference, where we add value to God’s new house. Let’s go show the people who are in the cold how valuable stones can live in God’s house.

Let them become jealous of us who are built in so close to Jesus, so that in the end they also come to take up residence as living stones in God’s house.

Scripture
1 Peter 2:1-8

Reflection
Do you realise how much value you have?
How do you live as a living stone?
Who are you going to show how living stones should live?

Prayer
Father, thank you that I can trust in Jesus, the living cornerstone. Thank you that I can know if I trust in Jesus, I will never regret it. Amen.