This has always been one of my favorite themes in the Bible. I am not sure just what about it puts it in my favorite list, the top five anyway, but it has always added strength to my faith.
Is. 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the LORD GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” Notice that it is not just any stone, a stone that has been tried, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation. I have done a lot of carpentry in my life, and even helped build a few buildings, and the first thing that you do is prepare the dirt. You have to make sure it is level, that it is solid, and that it is true (square). Once that is done you can start to build your building. The first step in starting the building is taking one block, brick, or stone and placing it in one of the corners. This is your corner stone, your starting point, the rest of the building depends on this stone to be placed correctly, and it must support all of the other pieces of building material. However, Ps 118:22 says “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner”. Why was this stone rejected, and if it was rejected how did it become the corner stone?
The answer to this is in Eph 2:19-22 “…Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto an holy temple in the LORD: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God…” We see that Jesus is the corner stone rejected by the world, then becomes the thing that makes the church strong, secure and stable. But, what did Paul mean by we are also builded? The answer is in Mt 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church:..” We, the believers, the Christians are the church. God through the Holy Spirit lives in each of us, the church is alive, just as Christ is alive.
The world spends their entire lives searching for something that can give them stability, and security, something that can provide them a place of refuge, and yet they reject the corner stone that can provide all these things to them. But, there are so many times as Christians, that we also reject the stability, and security that Christ offers. We try to build our own house, using ourselves as the cornerstone. I know I have done it more times than I can count, I will just move away from where God wants me, and try to build my own shelter. Of course the first time that any trouble comes my way, I collapse. Then I have to find that place God wants me and then get back there. Mt 18:18 goes on to say “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Does that mean that we will have no troubles? No, it just means when Satan shows up and throws his fiery darts at us, that they will not harm us. When our faith is strong, and our eyes are upon God, no matter what Satan tries to hit us with, he will not be able to make our building crumble, he will not be able to tear us down.
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