Grow in God's Love Each Morning!

Word Of God:

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”- Isaiah 26:3

Daily Devotion:

Unwanted is Wanted!

"The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone" - (Mt 21:42)

As a building engineer I have heard this statement made in various forms and occasions by masons. Looking for an ideally shaped stone they would keep rejecting one after the other. Finally they would settle for the best among the rejected ones! Jesus saw Himself as a rejected stone. Prophet Isaiah portrayed Him as "a Man of sorrows ... despised and rejected by men" (Isa 53:3).

None of us who truly follow the crucified Saviour can escape the cross of rejection. No man is fully accepted until he is totally rejected. Joseph was rejected but finally crowned. David was despised but finally enthroned. Jesus was rejected and despised by relatives and religionists. The world still hates Him. He has forewarned us, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you" (Jn 15:18). Apostle John repeated this warning, "Do not marvel, my brothers, if the world hates you" (1 Jn 3:13). Apostle James went one step further when he wrote, "Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (Js 4:4b).

It was not an exaggeration when Paul testified, "We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We respond gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world's garbage, like everybody's trash—right up to the present moment" (1 Cor 4:12,13). At the same time it is possible we antagonize the world by unsocial gestures and lack of wisdom. This is wrong. Jesus grew in favour with men, didn't He? (Lk 2:52). The message here is that an evil world will not love a good Abel; an unrighteous world will not applaud a righteous Noah; a licentious world will not tolerate a virtuous Joseph; a corrupt religion will not accommodate a sincere Jeremiah; an immoral ruler will not garland a forthright John the Baptist; and a world sold out to sin will not embrace us if we stand against sin.

The context of this proverbial passage teaches us another valuable lesson (Mt 21:33-41). God's serious view of fruitlessness in the lives of His people is vividly illustrated here. If we keep on disappointing God, we alone will be the losers. God knows no defeat. He knows when to do what, how and through whom.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus;
There's no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me—
O how much He cared for me! (Charles F. Weigle, 1871-1966)

Prayer: Habakkuk 3:15-19

You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and my heart pounded,my lips quivered at the sound;decay crept into my bones,and my legs trembled.Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,he enables me to go on the heights.For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.