“As you continue to come to Jesus—the living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s eyes, you are becoming a ‘spiritual house’—a priestly people who exist to offer sacrifices of praise to God through Jesus. For God promised in the Old Testament: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.” (pp 1Pet.2:4–6)
Lord Jesus, I used to think that “coming to Jesus” was a phrase whose meaning is exhausted when we first trusted you as our Savior and Lord. For sure, that is the most glorious and essential “come to Jesus meeting” we’ll ever have. But the whole Christian life is about coming to you—spiritually, emotionally, mentally… with everything we have and are. We need you as much today as we ever have. And BIG hallelujah, you keep giving us grace upon grace.
Staying with the “rock” image of today’s passage—Jesus you are the living Stone for your beloved people; and the precious cornerstone of the living temple called the body of Christ—the rock of refuge that’s higher than us and every crisis we face. (Ps.61:2–3). All other ground is sinking sand. You are the rock from which God gave water in the wilderness in Moses’ day (1Cor.10:1–4), and the honey-giving rock of whom Asaph spoke (Ps.81:16). You are all this and a gazillion times more. We’ll never have a need you don’t meet.
Jesus, we exalt you and delight in you. The more precious you become to us, the more we watch our shame melt away. The more we come to you, the more we realize you perpetually come to us first, in the middle, and last. Hallelujah, and So Very Amen.
