by Robert Fudge

Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. 22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 23 the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

As I think about God and his relationship with mankind, I must reflect on the ability of man to choose between serving God or rejecting him. When we carefully consider who God is and think of his majesty and come to grips with his sovereign right to judge us, who are we to refuse to submit to his will. Verse 22 is quoted 5 times in the New Testament and the same idea is given much more than that. It is very plain that the stone referred to is Christ. He was rejected by the masses of his day and yet God placed him above all, bo th in heaven and on earth. Jesus, himself, said that all authority had been given to him. Paul said that Jesus had been given complete rule over all the earth and all spiritual forces in spiritual realms and that he would reign until everything has been handed over to the Father in the final day. It is the result of the infinite wisdom of God that Jesus came to this earth to save us in that final judgment. God wants us to come to him thru Jesus and prepare now to live with him forever. Too many times we want to serve God but we do it with half hearted efforts. God has warned us that he will only accept the best when it comes to our sacrifice and service to him. Each of us will choose today (and every day) whether we will make Jesus the corner stone of our life or if we will relegate him to the scrap pile as non-essential. When it comes down to it, we will do one or the other. There is no in-between. We need to each ask ourselves: “will I build on this stone or will I stumble over it?” Peter says that God wants to use us as living stones to build up a spiritual house to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him. We, as God’s people are that house. O how marvelous the wisdom of God toward us. “The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

O God , please help me to know your love that you have shown thru your Son. Help me to accept his rule over my life and submit to him more completely. Increase my faith and help me to know how to serve you by serving others around me today. Please fill my heart with your Spirit so I can become more like you. Please heal those who are hurting and strengthen those who are weak. I pray in Jesus name.

May God bless each of us as we live for him and in his will.