Read I Peter 2:4-8
“As you come to Him, the living stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood…” (v4-5a)
Some Thoughts…
We are entering a rejected relationship; we follow a way of life that is repulsive to many who have rejected it. For what is foundational, indispensable, and precious to God is forgotten, despised, and rejected by most of humanity. The very Onewe are running to for our life and salvation is anything but precious and “choice” in the world in which we live.
Yet we “come to Him,” and as we come, God takes us as His very own, adopting us into His family…yes, we are being built into a spiritual household…and the family business is the priesthood – we are now the go-betweens…the ones standing in the gap between the hopelessness of a sinful humanity (a group we identify with all too well) and the HOLY God of Almighty…
We are no better than those outside the walls of this spiritual house. The major difference between us and them is that we simply chose to come in. God chose us, and we accepted His offer…So now we have become the ones that God would use to stand as ambassadors to those who rage against God. And we stand calling for a cease-fire and asking folks to accept what they have been passionately rejecting for years.
Some will hear our pleas and see the compassion in our eyes and they too will “come to Him” becoming part of His family of priests…But many will not…they will continue to be offended by Him who is the anchor of our lives…He is a stone that causes people to trip and fall…they can’t see His effort to stop their running as a kind gesture or a saving act…for they truly believe they are running the right way. They can’t see that what is precious to them right now will one day destroy them and wipe out our most compassionate efforts as God’s go-betweens. They will never find the treasure of Jesus…they are “destined for it”… disobeying God’s most elementary message of grace and love…they reject Him – the precious One.
This truth of Scripture is hard to swallow and I’m thankful I’m not the judge. I don’t know another person’s destiny, so I will keep hard at the work of “the priesthood of the believer” doing and saying all I can to call out just ONE MORE chosen soul for the miracle of salvation.
A Prayer…
Father,
I don’t understand this…why choose me? I’m not worthy or worth it…why not choose someone with better talents of persuasion and compassion. But, before I go too far with that line of thinking…Thank You for allowing me into Your household…Help me live my life with my mind on “the priesthood” and do all I can to win more souls into Your house of love. Amen.