Daily Devotional | The Living Stone

Singer, musician, and writer Michael Card wrote an album reflecting on the life of the apostle Peter, titled A Fragile Stone. His song “Living Stones” says, “We are holy, living stones built upon the firm foundation that is Jesus. And as we cling to that Rock, who became a Stumbling Block, we remember we are living stones.”

The song’s metaphor comes from today’s reading, which is in turn based on several Old Testament passages (Ps. 118:22; Isa. 8:14; 28:16). Perhaps Peter was also remembering Jesus’ parable of the houses built on foundations of sand versus rock (Matt. 7:24–27).

As “living stones,” we are the building materials, but the cornerstone is Jesus Christ, the “Living Stone” Himself (v. 4). He was “rejected by humans but chosen by God.” We put Him on a cross, but ultimately this was God’s sovereign plan, as Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:22–24). Christ, the cornerstone, is the key to constructing the house (v. 6) and to God’s entire plan of salvation. To those who refuse to believe, Christ is a stumbling block (vv. 7–8). They trip over Him, a choice with serious consequences. Those who reject Christ and disobey the gospel are destined for eternal punishment.

By contrast, to God the Father and therefore to believers, Christ is “chosen” and “precious” (vv. 4, 6, 7). “The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame,” meaning that He is worthy of our trust. Our faith in Him is absolutely safe in Him. Our service as a “holy priesthood” is to offer Him “spiritual sacrifices,” namely, ourselves (v. 5; Rom. 12:1–2). As we do so, we’re not only acting (trusting, obeying) but also being acted upon (growing up, being built into a house) by God.

>> To dig deeper, we encourage you to read or study other Scripture passages about Christ the cornerstone, including the parable of the tenants (Mark 12:1–12) and Peter’s sermon to the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1–12).