In trials, Come to Jesus!

1 Peter 2:4-10 NIV.

The passage describes Jesus as the living Stone and then believers as living stones, i.e. of the same kind as Jesus. Therefore, what happens to the living Stone happens to the living stones.

Jesus was chosen by God but humans rejected Him (v4). Likewise, believers are chosen by God to offer spiritual sacrifices by holy living and to declare God’s goodness (v5,9). Also, believers are rejected (1:1,6).

So, what do you do when you feel rejected in trials? Come to Jesus (v4), who is:

A cornerstone.

Jesus is a precious cornerstone to those who believe in Him and have received God’s mercy (v5-7a,10). A cornerstone is the foundation stone that determines the direction and stability of a building. Similarly, Jesus provides believers with direction (as living stones chosen, royal, holy and special; v9) and stability (as living stones being built together and unashamed; v5-6).

When we feel rejected in the face of trials, we come to Jesus, the chosen and precious cornerstone, in whom we are chosen by God and built up. But Jesus is not only a cornerstone, he is also a stumbling stone.

A stumbling stone.

Jesus is a stumbling stone to those who do not believe—those who reject or disobey his word (v7b-8). A stumbling stone here is a cornerstone not in its place—one that has been rejected (v7b-8). And just as a structure without a cornerstone would fall, those who reject Jesus—all things not built on Christ—are destined to stumble and fall; they are flaky (v8, Matthew 21:44).

When we feel rejected in the face of trials, we come to Jesus. And knowing that Jesus is a stumbling stone should remind us of the flakiness of worldliness and, therefore, of any rejection we face in trials.

So, what do you do when you feel rejected in trials? Come to Jesus (v4). Peter echoes the invitation of Jesus himself who is meek and lowly in heart - who feels our sufferings and offers rest (Matthew 11:28), and who is the cornerstone in whom you're chosen and the stumbling stone that shows the flakiness of your rejection.

Reflect & Pray

What/who do you go to amid trial’s rejection? How might Peter’s encouragement help you cultivate a habit of coming to Jesus?

Thank You, Father, that amid trials we can come to Jesus, the living Stone, whose atoning sacrifice and resurrection made us living stones chosen and special to You. JESUS, we celebrate You this Easter, Hallelujah.

God bless you exceedingly,
Sam.

Psalm 91: A Complete Refuge 3

Psalm 91 [short series]. As we journey through life, sometimes we go through troubles beyond our control — an addiction, sudden financial lack, sickness, broken relationship, losing a loved one, a hope deferred. How do we navigate those seasons? Or maybe you are currently in such a season and wondering, "How do I live through this?" Previously [1] [2] , we saw that God's refuge is guaranteed. The Psalm also shows the completeness of God's refuge as a reason for how we can navigate the seasons of life. His Refuge is complete through this life! Psalm 91:3-6, 13 God rescues you from troubles beyond your reach and permanently deals with the cause of all problems, Satan himself. His refuge deals with: Sin: snare of the fowler (v3, 11-12) Snares are traps used to catch animals, often made with something enticing or luring, like a cheese trap for a

Psalm 91: A Guaranteed Refuge 1

Psalm 91 [short series]. Psalm 91 is a commonly known Psalm that often raises doubts (e.g. Does it really apply to our present realities?), gets misinterpreted (e.g. If you trust God, no trouble will come to you) or gets undermined (e.g. It’s all a metaphor). But the message in the Psalm is such a profound encouragement to keep trusting in God because of the kind of refuge that only He can provide. As we will see in a 4 part study, the Psalm shows us why God is the only refuge you can trust (v2), and this is because: His refuge is guaranteed By His greatness: He can. v1, 11-12 By His promise: He will. v4, 14-16 His refuge is complete Through this life. v3-6, 13 Into the next life. v7-10, 16 His Refuge is guaranteed by His Greatness! Psalm 91:1, 11-12 He can always rescue! T

In Christ is all we need

Luke 5:1-11 NIV; 2 Peter 1:3 NIV. Praise God! Happy new year!!! One time, I was meeting friends for a game of badminton. When I arrived at the court, I noticed I had come with the wrong bag. I planned to play in shorts, but I played in trousers, and my very competitive friends were not merciful. Peter described the Christian life almost like my backpack experience, except that he made the right switch. He picked the one that had all he needed for his journey. In Luke's passage (Luke 5:1-11 NIV), he records Peter's first meeting with Jesus. It was at a time when he had toiled all night but couldn't catch any fish. So he parked his boat by the seashore. But when Jesus saw Peter's boat, he got into it and used it to teach the crowd the word of God - to meet their spiritual needs. Again, in displaying his divine miraculous power, he used the boat to provide much fish - to meet the physical needs of Pet

A Devotional Life

Search This Blog