Day 7: Precious Cornerstone
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Sovereign Lord our God, Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You (Jeremiah 10:7 - ESV).
Blessed are the poor in spirit, You have told us, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.... Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth... Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God... (Matthew 5:3, 5, 8-9).
In these instructions You laid out for us the attitude and the attributes of the humble, for our prideful human minds are preoccupied with who... is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1). And You who know our hearts understand its native desire to lord it over [others] (Matthew 20:25).
By Your own example, You have shown us what it is like to be gentle and humble in heart, and You invite us to learn from You (Matthew 11:29). Yet, the struggle continues in the human heart—the same temptation to self-elevation that plagued the disciples (Mark 10:35-41) —the same spirit of competition that caused jealousy and quarreling among the Corinthian believers (1 Corinthians 3:3)—the same root of pride that rejects eternal life as the gift of God (Romans 6:23).
But what was true then is still the unchanging truth: You alone are God, and no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). No other foundation can be laid for salvation (John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:5), for prayer and worship (Hebrews 10:20; 12:24, 28-29), and for building God's kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:5-11).
You have clearly told us, “I am the Lord; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols” (Isaiah 42:8). Help us not to foolishly build on anything or anyone but You. Within the church, our leaders are co-workers in God's service...God's field, God's building (1 Corinthians 3:9). Help us to love and support them without giving them the place of God.
And in the rest of life, all earthly ambitions, agendas, and alignments are futile. So are all human elevations, comparisons, and contentions. Keep us from pride and error. Search our hearts and root out proud, vain, deceitful reasoning that would tempt us to “build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves…” (Genesis 11:4).
Deliver us from deception. Our world is treacherous and chaotic—help us to seek discernment and wisdom from Your word. Help us not to lean on warped, crooked, and unstable "Babels" but on Christ, the precious, eternal Cornerstone.
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