The day the Lord has made…
The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the LORD’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
This is the day the LORD has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118: 22-24, NTL)
The stone the builders rejected: In the olden days, building a house requires cutting the stones carefully. Sometimes, as in the old rabbinic parable, the masons may come across a stone that does not seem to fit into any place and so is cast away. Sometimes though it turns out that the stone the builders rejected may become a pillar stone. David was rejected a king by most of Israel, but eventually become one-of-a-kind king in Israel. The Lord Jesus was rejected by the House of Israel, but one day will come back as the Reigning King of Israel. In the same way, we are ‘stones’ being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4-6). Sometimes, there are things that happen to us we will rather not talk about. There are ‘stones’ in the house of life that we will rather throw away and reject permanently. But if we allow the Lord to have His way, those ‘rejected stones’ may become corner stone experiences in our lives to shape us into the persons God wants us to become.
The Lord’s doing: Only God can take up a rejected stone and make it into a cornerstone. God is at work. And what God does is marvelous in our eyes. It is beautiful to behold, when God takes up our weakness and turns it into a divine strength. It is wonderful to behold Paul being used by God although it was said of him, “Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!” (2 Corinthians 10: 10-11, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Or to behold the Rahab changed from being a harlot into becoming the great grand mother of the Messiah (Matthew 1:5). It is wonderful to behold the crucified Jesus become the Lord and Savior of all. This in deed is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the Day the Lord has made: This is the era in which the carpenter’s son, rejected by Jewish ‘builders’, has become the Lord and Savior of all. This is the day in which God is turning our mourning into dancing, our weakness into strength (2 Corinthians 6: 1-2, Isaiah 61:1-4). Today is the day the Lord has made. Today is in God’s hand. It means that 1): I can live fully and freely today. “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” We can rejoice and be glad in today – it is the day the Lord has made. 2): It means that I am given today. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is but a promise. Today is a gift to us. So, we are called to live each day at a time. To maximize today’s grace (Ephesians 5:15-17). Finally, it means that I can plan for tomorrow while living worry-free today (Matthew 6: 25-34). Because He lives and does wonderful things, we can face tomorrow confidently and rejoice exceedingly in today’s blessings. This verse from Cristy Lane’s song, One day at a time, is fitting:
One day at a time sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from you.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time.
The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the LORD’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
This is the day the LORD has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118: 22-24, NTL)
The stone the builders rejected: In the olden days, building a house requires cutting the stones carefully. Sometimes, as in the old rabbinic parable, the masons may come across a stone that does not seem to fit into any place and so is cast away. Sometimes though it turns out that the stone the builders rejected may become a pillar stone. David was rejected a king by most of Israel, but eventually become one-of-a-kind king in Israel. The Lord Jesus was rejected by the House of Israel, but one day will come back as the Reigning King of Israel. In the same way, we are ‘stones’ being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4-6). Sometimes, there are things that happen to us we will rather not talk about. There are ‘stones’ in the house of life that we will rather throw away and reject permanently. But if we allow the Lord to have His way, those ‘rejected stones’ may become corner stone experiences in our lives to shape us into the persons God wants us to become.
The Lord’s doing: Only God can take up a rejected stone and make it into a cornerstone. God is at work. And what God does is marvelous in our eyes. It is beautiful to behold, when God takes up our weakness and turns it into a divine strength. It is wonderful to behold Paul being used by God although it was said of him, “Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!” (2 Corinthians 10: 10-11, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Or to behold the Rahab changed from being a harlot into becoming the great grand mother of the Messiah (Matthew 1:5). It is wonderful to behold the crucified Jesus become the Lord and Savior of all. This in deed is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the Day the Lord has made: This is the era in which the carpenter’s son, rejected by Jewish ‘builders’, has become the Lord and Savior of all. This is the day in which God is turning our mourning into dancing, our weakness into strength (2 Corinthians 6: 1-2, Isaiah 61:1-4). Today is the day the Lord has made. Today is in God’s hand. It means that 1): I can live fully and freely today. “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” We can rejoice and be glad in today – it is the day the Lord has made. 2): It means that I am given today. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is but a promise. Today is a gift to us. So, we are called to live each day at a time. To maximize today’s grace (Ephesians 5:15-17). Finally, it means that I can plan for tomorrow while living worry-free today (Matthew 6: 25-34). Because He lives and does wonderful things, we can face tomorrow confidently and rejoice exceedingly in today’s blessings. This verse from Cristy Lane’s song, One day at a time, is fitting:
One day at a time sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from you.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time.
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