Often, you have to experience something first-hand to know what you have been missing all these years. We had a small steel fireplace in the house. When it was cold, we quickly lit the fire.

We had to use a lot of wood to be able to feel just a small change in temperature in the house. I think the fireplace was not well designed, that’s why all the heat disappeared with the smoke into the cold night.

Then I heard about a small stove imported from Europe. We saved and negotiated hard with the salesman. Eventually, he gave in, and a friend and I installed the oven in our living room.

I couldn’t believe how much heat the little oven can generate. The whole house is heated in no time at all with just one or two pieces of wood. So, when the sky gets cloudy, we get the little oven ready to perform its miracles.

The oven adds value to our lives. It makes a big difference at very little cost. It is precious to us. But I could only experience this when the fireplace was replaced with the oven and it started to do its job.

In the same way, you can only experience the value that Jesus adds to your life if you invite Him in and allow Him to do His work in your life. Only when we realise what Jesus did for us on the cross do we see how precious He is to us.

To use Peter’s image again, once we realise that we are built in next to Jesus who is the living cornerstone, we realise our value. Then we understand that we have value too and of course then we also have to make sure that we live in the world as living stones.

We’ve become part of God’s family with Jesus as our Brother, and because we are part of this we receive so much more. Jesus and the Holy Spirit add value to our lives and when we think about this and realise what we’ve received, Jesus and what He has done for us becomes very precious to us.

⁷To you who trust Him, He’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust Him,

the stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone.

 ⁸For the untrusting it’s … a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way. They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.

We who believe, we who are built in as living stones, share in the glory of the Divine house. We get the benefits. We have the Holy Spirit who lives life with us. We can live in the cosy house of our Father under His protection.

Unfortunately, so many people are still living in the cold. Unfortunately, many people try to get out of the cold with a fireplace that doesn’t actually work. They don’t even know that there’s anything better. They don’t even know what they’re missing.

We know how precious Jesus is. We know what value the Holy Spirit adds to our lives. We know about the future and where we’re going. Therefore, let’s invite the outsiders to our warm stove, so they can see what they’re missing. May they also be transformed by the Holy Spirit to share in the glory in God’s house.

Scripture
1 Peter 2:1-8

Reflection
What does it mean to you to share in the glory?
What does it mean to live a grateful life?
How does it motivate you to make a difference?

Prayer
Father, I have value because I’m part of Your house. Jesus is so precious to me. Help me show this to others every day. Amen.