A Word from 1 Peter 2

If you could build your dream house, what would it be like? What kind of rooms and “special touches” would it have? How would you decorate and furnish it? Would it have a big yard with a beautiful view? And would there be spaces in it where you could welcome and entertain your family and friends?

Well, listen. You may or may not get the chance to build your dream house. But you’re already part of a building project that has eternal implications! In today’s word from 1^st Peter Chapter 2, we’re told that “As you come to him, the living Stone…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (2:4-5)

Of course, this particular house doesn’t have anything to do with our personal desires, and instead, is focused on God’s purposes. And part of His purpose is to incorporate not just you into His grand design…but us! All the “you’s” in this passage are plural, suggesting that we together are the stones that God wants to use “for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life” (2:5 in The Message).

But here’s the kicker: When we love God and love each other enough to let His work proceed within us, here’s His promise of what we can become: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (2:9)

So, let’s desire to be “living stones” today, so that God can reside in us in a way that glorifies Him and blesses others. Amen.