Stones: February 14, 2013

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2013.

STONES

DEFINITION:

A piece or substance of rock; a gem; a hard rounded object.

 SCRIPTURE:

"I tell you that, if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." Luke 19:40

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

It was during Jesus last week on earth that Jesus publicly proclaimed that He was indeed the promised Messiah. He chose the time of Passover week when large crowds would be gathered in Jerusalem. As He made His triumphal entry, riding on a donkey into Jerusalem, the large crowd hailed Him as Messiah and broke out into joyful praise to God, singing, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Luke 19:38)

The Pharisees considered this blasphemy and ordered Jesus to tell the crowd to be quiet. Jesus reply was, “If the people should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

But could the stones cry out? Yes they could if God, who opens the mouth of the dumb, should tell them to lift up their voice and talk. If they were to speak, they would have much to say in praise of God who created them by the word of His power. They would proclaim with a loud voice the wisdom and power of their maker who called them into being.

If even the rocks recognize their creator, should not we speak well of Him and praise Him, who made us, and not only made us, but made us anew through the power of His salvation. The old rocks could tell of chaos and order, and the handiwork of God in stages of creations drama. Therefore, how can we not help but to talk of God's great work in ancient times, as well as what He continues to do for those that love Him and are His children.

If the stones were to speak, they could tell how He saw that they were taken from the quarry and broken to fit perfectly for the temple. How much greater should be our desire to tell how are hearts were broken with the reading of God's Word that He might shape our hearts into a temple of worship and mold us into a useable representative of Him as one of His children.

If the stones would cry out they would magnify their builder, who polished them and set them carefully in His temple. In the same way should we not cry out to all that will listen to us of our architect and builder, who has made us and placed us where He wants us to be?

Our Savior, Jesus saw that the stone at the door of the tomb was rolled away so we can be certain that Jesus died and paid the penalty for our sins. Take a moment and wonder what that stone would say if it could speak to us today.

Some of the Pharisees watching with the crowds were yelling to Jesus to stop His disciples. Jesus had come to fulfill the will and purpose of God, His heavenly Father. There is no one or nothing in this world that can interfere with the will of God.  But Jesus, honored by some as Lord and Messiah and rejected by others, kept moving on His way to Jerusalem to fulfill all the prophecies concerning Him as God's Son and our redeemer.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Thessalonians 5:18.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

PRAYER:

Thank You for this application that we can learn from as we study Your word. If even the stones could recognize Jesus as their creator, how much more should I acknowledge that You are not only my creator but my Lord and Savior. Thank You Lord for coming to this earth to be my Messiah.