From: June 9, 2025
“When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built” (1 Kings 6:7 ESV).
That every massive stone used in the building of Solomon’s temple was “prepared at the quarry” was an astounding feat. For a worksite of such magnitude to be absent any hammering or chiseling would be just as amazing today as it was then. Both the designer and the builder had to be exacting in their precision and skill in order to accomplish this. Some stones weighed as much as one hundred tons, yet they were perfectly honed and fitted together. The temple site may have been quiet, but there must have been much noise at the quarry as each stone was hammered and chiseled out, shaping it perfectly for God’s house.
The apostle Peter tells us that God is building a new house and we are like “living stones being built into his spiritual temple” (1 Peter 2:5). God is both the Architect and the Builder of this spiritual temple (Heb. 11:10). Sometimes He is noisily chiseling away on us in the quarry and at other times He is quietly putting us into place. It is God who builds His house and we are being perfectly fitted for it.
We are not finished stones yet, but God is faithfully shaping us through seasons of trials and trouble. Yet they are the tools God uses to refine us. He is forming our character, smoothing our rough edges, and preparing us for the place He has in His spiritual house. We may not always understand the process, but we can trust the hands of the Master Builder. Let us be willing stones, surrendered to His shaping. One day, He will set us into place, and all will be made clear.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for being both our Architect and our Builder. We trust You even in times of trouble. Shape us with Your loving hands so that we may be fit for the place You’ve prepared for us. Use us as living stones in Your spiritual house, that we may bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
From: June 9, 2024
“He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:25 ESV).
Stephen’s defense before the Jewish council was amazing in its breadth and understanding of Jewish history. He offered a condensed version of the Old Testament story starting with Abraham and steadily progressing to the 1st Century time of Jesus. But it wasn’t just a summary. It offered profound spiritual insights on the ancient faith story.
Consider the Moses part of the story. Here, Stephen described not only the facts of Moses’ life, but his motivations. Stephen described Moses as being aware of his God-given calling to be the deliverer of Israel when he was only 40 years old. So, when he fled to Midian after killing the Egyptian, he wasn’t just fleeing Pharoah’s judgment, he was fleeing God’s call.
Stephen tried to help the Jewish council understand that Jewish history, and the story of Moses, had always pointed to Jesus as Messiah and that He was the fulfillment of their Hebrew Scriptures. Yet, just as the people of Moses’ day did not understand his message of salvation, neither did those of Stephen’s day. For just as they had rejected and killed Jesus, so they rejected Stephen and sentenced him to be stoned to death.
Stephen’s commentary on the Old Testament helps us understand the storyline from God’s perspective. He establishes the best practice for our reading today. For the best way to understand the Old Testament is through the lens of the New Testament and through the person of Jesus.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the testimony of Stephen and how Your Spirit inspired him to interpret the Old Testament through the lens of Jesus. For his testimony helps us to read and understand. Thank You for giving us this understanding of Your salvation through Jesus. In His name we pray, amen.
From: June 9, 2023
“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted” (Psalms 127:1 NLT).
This psalm of Solomon is apt for today’s One Year Bible reading as the Old Testament reading is about the building of the Temple. Yet although God had given Solomon such amazing wisdom, he failed to apply it to his own house. Isn’t this often the case? We know more than we do?
Solomon was a great builder and king, but failed to follow God’s wisdom in managing his own house. For when he was old, his many foreign wives turned his heart to other gods, so that he became disloyal to the Lord (cf. 1 Kings 11:4).
We can build many things, but we labor in vain when we try to build a family in our own wisdom and strength. For a house is not a home. It is a mere empty shell without a loving family dwelling inside.
Do you want a loving family? Unless the Lord builds it, you will labor in vain. Indeed, you will be the one tearing it down with your own hands (cf. Prov. 14:1). Trust the Lord as the Architect and Builder of your house.
PRAYER: Dear Father, only You can build a family that loves You and each other. We therefore surrender afresh to You today. We entrust our families to You. We thank You for Your many blessings. We ask You to continue blessing us. Lord, You are our firm foundation and builder. Have Your way with us today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: June 9, 2017
Stephen’s defense before the Jewish council was amazing in its span and understanding of Jewish history. He offered a condensed version of the Old Testament story starting with Abraham and steadily progressing to the 1st Century time of Jesus. But it wasn’t just a summary. It offered profound spiritual insights on the ancient faith story.
Consider the Moses part of the story. Here, Stephen described not only the facts of Moses’ life, but his motivations. Stephen described Moses as being aware of his God-given calling to be the deliverer of Israel when he was only 40 years old. So, when he fled to Midian after killing the Egyptian, he wasn’t just fleeing Pharoah’s judgment, he was fleeing God’s call.
Stephen’s commentary on the Old Testament helps us understand the storyline from God’s perspective. He establishes the best practice for our reading today. For the best way to understand the Old Testament is through the lens of the New Testament and through the person of Jesus.
Stephen tried to help the Jewish council understand that their history had always pointed to Jesus, that He was the fulfillment of their Hebrew Scriptures. Yet, they would not believe. And they sentenced Stephen to be stoned to death.
From: June 9, 2016
We are to be thankful for our children as a “heritage,” as a gift. It is not just biology at work, for they are “from the Lord.” They are a “reward” to be desired, not a burden to be avoided. Yet, we need this reminder from God’s Word because sin would have us view God’s gifts as curses. Beloved, meditate on this verse as you consider our little ones.
From: June 9, 2015
That every massive stone used in the building of Solomon’s temple was “finished at the quarry” was an astounding feat. For a worksite of such magnitude to be absent any hammering or chiseling would be just as amazing today as it was then. Both the designer and the builder had to be exacting in their precision and skill in order to accomplish this. Some stones weighed as much as 100 tons, yet they were perfectly honed and fitted together. The temple site may have been quiet, but there must have been much noise at the quarry as each stone was hammered and chiseled out, shaping it perfectly for God’s house. The apostle Peter tells us that God is building a new house and we are like “living stones being built into his spiritual temple” (1 Peter 2:5). God is both the Architect and the Builder of this spiritual temple (Heb. 11:10). Sometimes He is noisily chiseling away on us in the quarry and at other times He is quietly putting us into place. Yet, it is God who builds His house and we who are being perfectly fitted for it.