Readings for today: Isaiah 27-30
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation; whoever believes will not be in haste.” (Isaiah 28:16)
I thought about these words throughout our trip. Each of the churches we went to seemed built upon a particular stone. There was the Church of the Nativity where one could touch the stones on which the manger lay. There was the Monastery of the Temptation where one could gaze upon the stone on which Jesus sat while being tempted by the devil. There was the stone of Golgotha where Jesus was crucified. And there was the stone of the empty tomb where Jesus rose from the dead. Praying at each of these places was powerful. One could literally feel the weight of glory pressed into each of these stones and it makes Isaiah’s words from today’s reading come to life even more.
“And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter. Then your covenant of death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand…” (Isaiah 28:17-18)
God has established an everlasting covenant with His people. A covenant of life not death. A covenant of joy not sorrow. A covenant of peace not conflict. A covenant of grace not condemnation. Here in the Holy Land we see signs of that covenant all around us. The Western Wall where faithful Jews still gather to pray. The tombs on the slopes of the Kidron Valley where faithful Jews have been buried for centuries with the hope of greeting the Messiah when He comes. The many different churches and shrines marking the places where Jesus lived and taught and suffered and died and rose again. The Holy Land presents one of the most powerful testimonies to the truth and hope of the gospel and it’s why every believer should try to make the trip here at least once in their lives.
Because God Himself has laid the chief cornerstone in Jesus Christ, we who believe in Him will never be put to shame. We can trust Him to be faithful. We can trust Him to be our refuge and strength in times of trouble. Our stronghold and refuge when the storms of life come. Nothing will shake a foundation that is built on Christ. Rather than seeking to save ourselves, we can respond to God’s gracious call, “Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, In repentance and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength…the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.”
Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 31-35