Have you ever thrown something away only to discover later that it was valuable?

Maybe you were cleaning out a drawer or garage and came across something that looked useless. Only later did someone tell you,

“Do you know what that was worth?”

Or maybe it wasn’t about its monetary value, but rather you discovered later it was something you needed for a device or could have used in a project. That’s happened to me enough that I have spare parts and tools for things I’m not even sure I own anymore.

Psalm 118 describes something far more significant:

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

Imagine builders examining stones for a new building. One stone doesn’t look right, so they set it aside. They reject it as unsuitable for what they’re building.

Then the master builder picks up that rejected stone and makes it the cornerstone, one of the most important stone in the entire structure. It’s the one piece to the IKEA furniture that looked strange at first, but later you find out it holds the whole thing together.

Jesus tells us that Psalm 118 was written about Him.

In Matthew 21, Jesus quotes this passage while confronting the religious leaders who rejected Him. They were supposed to be waiting for God’s Messiah. Yet when He stood right in front of them, they refused to believe.

Soon, that rejection would lead to the cross.

Jesus was betrayed, falsely accused, mocked, beaten, and crucified. The religious authorities condemned Him. The Roman government executed Him. Even His disciples scattered. By Friday afternoon, Jesus had been thoroughly rejected and discarded by his people.

But Jesus wasn’t rejected by the master builder, God the Father.

On Sunday morning, the stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone.

God raised Jesus from the dead.

Peter later used this same psalm when he preached about Jesus. He said,

“There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12).

The Savior the world rejected is the only Savior the world has…He’s the savior the world needs.

Unfortunately, things haven’t changed all that much.

People build their lives on all kinds of things: success, relationships, money, reputation, their own goodness. Those things may be gifts from God, but none of them can bear the weight of our lives. Eventually, everything in this world gives way. It all crumbles, like a house built on sand.

Jesus doesn’t. He is a strong fortress…our rock.

He has defeated the sin that condemns us and the death we cannot escape. He cast the devil down and has put him under His feet. And our salvation rests entirely on Him.

That’s why the psalm continues,

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Those words aren’t simply telling us to have a positive attitude because God gave us another day. In context, they’re celebrating what God has done with the rejected stone. The Lord has given us a Savior.

The crucified Christ is risen. The rejected stone has become the cornerstone.

And that gives us something worth rejoicing about every day.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for sending Your Son to save me. Forgive me for the times I build my life on things that cannot last. Keep my faith firmly grounded in Jesus, the crucified and risen cornerstone, and fill me with joy in the salvation You have given through Him.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.