OUR DAILY BREAD : COADE STONE

[cimi]

October 16
Wednesday


COADE STONE

READ:
1 Peter 2: 1-10
________________________________________________________________________________________
Coming to Him as to
a living stone, rejected
indeed by men but
chosen by God and
precious. __1 Peter 2:4
________________________________________________________________________________________

Throughout London, there are statues and other items made from a unique building material called Coade stone. Developed by Eleanor Coade for her family business in the late 1700s, this artificial stone is virtually indestructible and has the capacity to withstand time, weather, and man-made pollution. Though it was a marvel during the Industrial Revolution, Coade stone was phased out in the 1840s following Eleanor's death, and it was replaced by Portland cement as a building material. In spite of that, however, there remain today dozens of examples of this sturdy, ceramic-like stone that have withstood the harsh London environment for over 150 years.

The apostle Peter described Jesus as a living stone. He wrote, "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:4-5). Precious in the eyes of the Father is the sacrifice of the Rock of our salvation. Christ is the enduring stone upon which the Father has built our salvation and the only foundation for meaningful life (1 Cor. 3:11).

It is only as our lives are built upon His strength that we will be able to endure the harshness of life in a fallen world.
__Bill crowder

```````````````````My hope is built on nothing less`````````````````````
````````````````Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;```````````````````
````````````````I dare not trust the sweetest frame,```````````````````
```````````````But wholly lean on Jesus' name. __Mote`````````````````
__________________________________________________________________________________
We have nothing to fear if we stay
close to the Rock of Ages.

*******************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 Peter 2:1-10*************************

1 Therefore, laying aside
all malice, all deceit,
hypocrisy, envy, and all evil
speaking. 2 As newborn
babes, desire the pure milk
of the word, that you may
grow thereby, 3 if indeed
you have tasted that the
Lord is gracious.

4 coming to Him as to a
living stone, rejected indeed
by men, but chosen by God
and precious, 5 you also, as
living stones, are being built
up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it
is also contained in the
Scripture, "Behold, I lay in
Zion a chief ccornerstone,
elect, precious, and he who
believes on Him will by no
means be put to shame.


7 Therefore, to you who
believe, He is precious;
but to those who are
disobedient, "The stone
which the builders rejected
has become the chief
cornerstone," 8 and "a stone
of stumbling and a rock of
offense." They stumble,
being disobedient to the
word, to which they also
were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen
generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation,
His own special people, that
you may proclaim the
praises of Him who called
you out of darkness into
His marvelous light; 10 who
once were not a people but
are now the people of God,
who had not obtained
mercy but now have
obtained mercy.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In today's reading, we see three word pictures about the people
of God--the church. First, the church is pictured as a living body
in need of nourishment (v.2). Second, it is portrayed as a building
whose chief cornerstone is Jesus (vv.4-8). Third, it is a chosen nation
that has received special mercy (vv.9-10).