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“This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.”  1 Peter 2:7-8

When our boys were in elementary and middle school, respectively, we went on a family vacation to the mountains of North Carolina. Looking back, I would label this the “rock” vacation. We went hiking on rock-faced Humpback Mountain and descended into Linville caverns, in awe of the limestone and stalactites. And we went horseback riding—which was a very, very rocky experience. (Suffice it to say, none of us have any desire to ever ride again.) But the highlight of the trip was probably when we went gem mining—or gemming.

Although pickaxes were not required, we were able to search for precious gems like garnet, aquamarine, amethyst, ruby, sapphire, and even emerald. But it’s not like in the old movies, when people are going through rocks and a bright, shiny emerald appears. Nope. Every stone in the bucket we were given looked like regular, dirty old rocks. We rinsed and sorted them, then reviewed a chart to figure out which gem we may be holding in our hands. Then we took them to the experts inside who inspected our choices and shared the value of what we had.

But without the chart and the experts, we would have rejected and tossed out every one of those stones.

Throughout the Bible, Jesus is talked about as a Rock (Psalm 18:2; 1 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 62:2). And all these verses, Old and New Testament, are so encouraging, as they tout the incomparable value of the Lord. When we trust Him, we are setting our feet on a solid foundation of Truth. So, when the winds and wave of life crash down, that foundation stands—and so do we.

But God’s Word also warns about rejecting this Rock—tossing Him out as without value (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:7-8; Romans 9:33). In fact, this foundational cornerstone becomes a stumbling block to those who reject Him. They don’t see His precious value, what He means for a more joyful life now—or the eternal significance. Maybe they’ve “scooped up” some Truth at some point, but they looked at it and thought, “This old, outdated stuff isn’t relevant for today.” Or, “Why would I give up living life my way?” Although there’s a clear “chart” (the Bible) and “experts” (pastors, teachers, preachers), they choose instead to dump what they see as a stumbling block and walk away.

Friend, at some point in our life, we are all sitting at the gemming bench. We have a choice to see Jesus as the Rock of salvation, accepting Him as the Cornerstone of our life. Or we can reject Him, tossing Him aside for the shiny (and valueless) trinkets the world has to offer. Which stone will you choose today? Will you choose to accept Jesus as your solid foundation? Or will He become your stone of stumbling toward eternal separation from God?

“Lord, I pray that those who have rejected You will open their eyes to recognize Your value—that they trade their worldly trinkets for the Rock of salvation.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life