Worship Devotional CXXXII
The Sure Foundation
Worship Devotional from 8/14/22
1 Peter 1:3-4:
“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
We have been given freedom and new life in Jesus. So where do we go from here? What will we do? In life and freedom, men are driven to build. Being made in the image of our Creator, we see possibility and opportunity to create, to build, to develop. The world is filled with the works of men and all the various kinds of things that we build in this life, on this earth, for this world.
But when we take a deeper, honest look at what we are doing, we must eventually realize that the things we build do not last forever. Eventually buildings will collapse and burn, materials will rust and fade away, and the things we hope to accomplish during our short time on the earth will be forgotten. Death has rendered everything futile. Nothing lasts, and so we might wonder: what is the point? Is there any meaning in life?
The kingdoms of the world will fall, and the works of men will not last. But the work of God is everlasting. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:14:
“I know that all God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of Him.”
Death’s reign in the world is the consequence of our sinful nature. We do not deserve to live, for we are all guilty of sin against a Holy God. Nothing we do can possibly be enough to earn favor with God and save ourselves from His wrath. We are helpless on our own.
We as believers in Christ Jesus, however, have great reason to rejoice! For we have come to know and to believe in the saving power of God. What we could never do, He did. He sent His own Son to take our place and pay the price for our sin, shedding His own righteous blood to pay for our iniquities. Then God raised Jesus from the dead in power and glory, so that all who believe in His name, having been justified by His crucifixion, might be raised to new life along with Him, and live forever with God! This the eternal work of God, which no man could ever accomplish except the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. This is available to us through faith rather than works, and it is only by the grace of our Lord Jesus that we have received such a great salvation and hope. There is nothing left for us to do but to stand in awe of God our Savior, and to give Him praise and glory and honor with our lives. We have a living hope in Christ by the work of God who has the power to create and sustain life. Jesus is the only firm foundation for all that is true and eternal; everything else will fade away. In hope and faith, we look forward to the city which God has built for us in heaven, where we will dwell forever in His holy presence in the age to come. As we live out the remainder of our days on this earth, may we invest in the things of heaven and of the kingdom of God, which is forever, and not waste our time on worldly things, which are fading away. May we store up treasures in heaven and sow that we may reap a heavenly reward, doing God’s will as He works in and through us by His Spirit to do what only He can do, which lasts forever. May every part of our lives bring glory and honor and praise to His name, for He alone is worthy.
Isaiah 28:16:
“Therefore the Lord God said: ‘Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakeable.’”
Psalm 118:22-24:
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Acts 4:11-12:
“This Jesus is ‘the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.”
1 Corinthians 3:11:
“For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:4-5:
“Coming to Him, a living stone — rejected by men but chose and valuable to God — you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 2:19-22:
“So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.”
Themes: The Work Of God, Christ Our Foundation, Christ Our Rock, Living Hope
Songs:
Scripture References:
Psalms 27, 107, 111, 118
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Isaiah 8:11-17, 28:16-17
Matthew 7, 16:13-19, 21:33-44
Luke 6:43-49, 20:9-18
Acts 4:11-12
1 Corinthians 3
Ephesians 2, 4
Philippians 3:12-21
2 Timothy 2:19-26
Hebrews 6:9-20, 11:8-10
1 Peter 1, 2:1-10
Revelation 21