January 22, 2024
Melissa Valerio
Psalm 118:22-24
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.” (NIV)
Oh, the lengths that God will go to bring His people back to Him. He brings calamity, disappointment, despair, tribulation, loss, suffering. He sends storms to teach and correct us. He will bring people into our lives to help us grow and shape our character. Easy and hard people alike. People who bring hurt and people who bring joy. Each serving their own purpose.
How far will He go? All the way to the cross. He will stop at nothing to bring us to a knowledge of Him. To bring us to an understanding of our state of sin and move us to repentance. He will stop at nothing to get us to submit to Him in humility, then stretching us into gratitude. Then finally graduating to loving Him with all our hearts.
We may think we have found Jesus. But in truth, it’s Jesus that has found us. We were lost, but now we are found. The Lord has done this, not us. The Lord. And it is marvelous.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Lord, oftentimes we ask, “What are you doing?” when we see the pieces falling apart. But in John 5:17, You said “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” Which means that everything that happens in our lives is part of Your work. You are the One doing it. Help us remember that and trust that You are working through all circumstances.
Action: The next time you are faced with a difficult situation, consider that it is the Lord’s hand behind it. He is always working, in any and every situation. Ask Him what He wants to reveal through it and what you can learn from it.