Stress Test Devotional May 4
May 04, 2024
PSALM 118:21-26 | 21I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
One of the reasons that Jesus had such courage is His conviction that His Father had a plan. It was a surprising and unusual plan, but it was not really unexpected or unpredictable. Many passages in the Old Testament that looked forward to the Messiah had hints that He would suffer, rather than simply conquer and rule. The suffering servant passages of Isaiah 53 are an example of this. Psalm 118 is as well. This Psalm was taken to refer to the Messiah in Jesus day and in fact the shouts of the crowd at Jesus’ entry indicate this fact. “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” is the greeting for the long awaited King, taken from this Psalm. But notice Verse 22. The “stone rejected by the builders” doesn’t sound very triumphant. Jesus came to understand God’s plan, in all its difficult dimensions, by paying attention to the scriptures. His own challenges and rejection were easier to bear because He could see they were part of God’s plan from the beginning.
It is vital to recognize that God’s plans for us will be surprising. After all, His thoughts are not our thoughts. It is important to learn to trust that His plans are for our good and ultimate benefit, even when our own intuitions would lead us in other directions.
What aspects of God’s plan as we see it revealed in Jesus’ life are the most surprising?
What aspects of His plan for you have been the most surprising?
Is your trust in God founded on the scriptures? If not, why not?
