Psalms 118:22-23 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
These verses capture one of the most profound Messianic truths in all of Scripture. What man cast aside, God exalted. What the builders saw as flawed and unfit, God chose as the foundation of His eternal plan. Yeshua (Jesus), the rejected One, is the very cornerstone upon which salvation, identity, and destiny are built. This is more than a theological concept — it’s a divine reversal that reveals the heart of redemption. Rejection by man does not disqualify–it often qualifies you for God’s greatest purposes.
Throughout history, humanity has consistently misjudged what matters most. The religious leaders of Yeshua’s day, the “builders,” were entrusted with God’s house, yet failed to recognize the cornerstone when He stood before them. But the plans of men never override the purposes of God. The same Yeshua who was crucified outside the city became the foundation stone of a heavenly kingdom that will never be shaken. And this wasn’t a last-minute adjustment — it was “the LORD’s doing”, and it is still marvelous in our eyes.
The Hebrew word for “stone” is אֶבֶן (evan) — a compound of אב (av) meaning father and בן (ben) meaning son. Hidden within this one word is the mystery of the Gospel: the Father and the Son, united in purpose and identity. The cross was not an accident; it was the place where the Father gave the Son to become the foundation of our faith, our lives, and the coming Kingdom. The cornerstone is not just about structural strength — it’s about divine relationship.
This truth demands a response. If Yeshua is the cornerstone, then every part of our lives must align with Him. He is not an add-on or a side pillar — He is the first stone laid, the standard by which all other stones are set. Your identity, your calling, your future — everything must be built on Him. If you’ve experienced rejection, know this: your value is not determined by the builders of this world, but by the One who makes all things marvelous in His time.
It’s time to rebuild — on the Rock. Stop trying to fit into structures God never called you to belong to. You may have been rejected, overlooked, or cast aside — but that doesn’t disqualify you. In fact, it places you in perfect alignment with the One who was rejected before you. Let Yeshua be your cornerstone — not just in word, but in foundation. Tear down what was built on sand. Lay Him down as the first and final authority in your life. Align your identity to the Father through the Son. What man rejected, God is ready to use. What the enemy tried to discard, God is setting in place. The cornerstone is secure — now build.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]As we continue our study of the men who followed David, another characteristic was their ability to war.They learned how to battle with both the right hand and the left hand for hurling stones. If you have ever thrown a ball, you know that you can aim effectively with your dominant hand — but try it with the opposite hand — it’s far more difficult to throw accurately. But the men that followed David learned to throw with both arms effectively! It must have taken months of training to develop such skill.
When David was a fugitive from Saul, the men who followed him recognized his rightful place as King of Israel, and they developed a deep loyalty to him, this little band. As we read yesterday, these men were transformed from distress, debt, and discontentment [1 Sam. 22:1-2] into becoming mighty men of war. Having joined David, they quickly realized that they were joining a conflict.
Last night, Jewish people around the world will mourn Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the fifth month of the Hebrew calendar year. Some of you may know that a lot of bad things have happened to the Jewish people on this date, the first of which was when the spies returned with an evil report of Canaan, the Promised Land, recounted in Numbers 13 and 14. Both the first and the second Temple were destroyed on this exact date, hundreds of years apart. The Crusades began on this day in 1095. The Jews were expelled out of England on this day in 1290, and again were expelled from Spain and Portugal on Tisha B’Av in 1492. And there are many more examples of this infamous day in Jewish history!
An ancient legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything withered and dying. After speaking to an oak near the gate, the king learned that he was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine overheard their conversation and added that she, too, was upset, for she could not bear delicious fruit like the pear tree. The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely odor of the spruce. And so it went throughout the entire garden.
In the midst of a serious heat wave, wildfires are spreading across Europe causing thousands to evacuate. This reminded me of a story I once read.
I can’t begin to tell you. So many people I’ve shared the Gospel with have answered, “Well — I don’t need that, I’m a good person.” No, we’re not. We have a tendency to compare ourselves with our neighbor, thinking how nice or how giving we are compared to him or her. But none of us are good by God’s standards. Our good works are like filthy rags, according to Isaiah.
If you look at the ant you will find that they dwell in colonies. Each colony consists of approximately 60,000 – 90,000 ants — they really can’t prosper on their own. They need each other. How does a colony of that many ants to work together? The only reason it works is that they operate in unity. Each ant shares the same purpose, the same goal, and the same aim.