Solid As a Rock

Read 1 Peter 2: 4-10

Come to Christ, who is the living Foundation of Rock upon which God builds; though men have spurned him, he is very precious to God who has chosen him above all others.

And now you have become living building-stones for God's use in building his house. What's more, you are his holy priests; so come to him - [you who are acceptable to him because of Jesus Christ] - and offer to God those things that please him. As the Scriptures express it, "See, I am sending Christ to be the carefully chosen, precious Cornerstone of my church, and I will never disappoint those who trust in him." 1 Peter 2: 4-6 (TLB)

"You are Peter, a stone; and upon this rock I will build my church; and all the powers of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18 (TLB)

As a child, Doug Wingert, from Arizona, developed a fascination with rocks. He would wander the desert areas around his home picking up rocks of all shapes and sizes. His rock collections would line the window sills at home or pile up on the back porch. Doug could hold a rock in his hand and imagine that it may have been formed in the fire of a mighty volcano or through the presence of an ancient sea. He also tried to imagine how God put all these things in motion, resulting in the rock he held in his hand.

In the quoted verse from Matthew, Jesus recognized the inner strength of his disciple and calls him Peter, which translates to "rock" in Greek. Even solid rock has its cracks, flaws, and imperfections. But despite his imperfections, Peter went on to spread the good news wherever he went.

What about Doug? Doug tends to have far more flaws and imperfections than he would like to admit. Still, he asks himself, Am I strong enough, like a solid rock, to be the foundation of love and forgiveness that Jesus has called me to be? Thankfully, through the grace of God, Doug doesn't have to be perfect to fulfill God's purposes for his life. And the good news is that we don't have to be perfect either.

Prayer: God of grace, guide us on a path that leads us to an unshakable faith, as solid as a rock, in Jesus' name, the living cornerstone. Amen.