Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
May 1, 2023
1 Peter 2:4-10
4 Now you are coming to him as to a living stone. Even though this stone was rejected by humans, from God’s perspective, it is chosen, valuable. 5 You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Thus, it is written in scripture, Look! I am laying a cornerstone in Zion, chosen, valuable. The person who believes in him will never be shamed. 7 So God honors you who believe. For those who refuse to believe, though, the stone the builders tossed aside has become the capstone. 8 This is a stone that makes people stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Because they refuse to believe in the word, they stumble. Indeed, this is the end to which they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. 10 Once, you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once, you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Good Morning, We are chosen and blessed!
When you use a moving company to move your belongings, the cost of your move is based on the weight of your belongings. Most of us own some things that have a higher weight than their size might indicate. For example, when we pack a box of books, we must choose a smaller box to make the weight manageable. Cast iron skillets are also one of those overweight items. Of course, there is the dreaded piano, especially the old, upright ones that are a beast to move. During one of my moves, a movers came to me and asked me about a box I had packed. It wasn’t large, but it was heavy. The box was labeled rocks. He suggested that maybe I should place that in my car instead of adding to the weight of the moving van.
He seemed unsure why anyone would move a box of rocks. These rocks were a collection of what appeared to be worthless rocks. Some valuable rock collections include precious gems or even gold, but these were ordinary rocks without monetary value. This box included rocks I had picked up along my life’s journey. Some had traveled with me for years; others were more recent additions. Each holds a special memory of a trip or represents a place I want to remember. These are chosen rocks that others might find of no use or value, but I see more than a rock when I look at them.
We, God’s people, are chosen and the cornerstone of God’s church. The body of Christ includes many who earthly standards have rejected, but we are of great value, precious, in the eyes of God. A living stone contains eternal life versus a lifeless rock. God chooses us to be living stones, but we must accept this gift. It seems I’m back to Moses’ question in Deuteronomy 30:15-20.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees, and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God chooses us! God takes us as we are, even when others have rejected us. Now, choose life so that you and your children may live!
Blessed God, We thank you for Your blessings. Thank you for giving value to a box of ordinary rocks by choosing us to be living stones. Thank You! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I don’t have to be perfect to fulfill God’s purpose for my life.
We are of great value to our Creator! Pastor Liz
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