So go the words of the popular Christian song. But what do we mean when we sing those words?
In Ephesians 2:20 Paul writes—“{You are} built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.” The context preceding this declaration talks about redemption which is freely given by grace (2:8-9). Our redemption means that we are no longer “foreigners and strangers, but…members of God’s household” (19).
The cornerstone is the central foundation stone which binds the whole structure together. The imagery of “cornerstone” has great Old Testament lineage. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakeable” (28:16). Paul tells us that Jesus is the cornerstone laid by the Father and that we now, by virtue of our faith in Him, are now linked to that stable foundation.
I like the word “unshakeable,” don’t you? It seems like everything today is being shaken. Wall Street has certainly been shaken. The world economy has been shaken. I am glad to know that my life is secure and unshakeable since my faith has linked me to the Cornerstone.
Prayer: I praise You as my cornerstone. Forgive me when I feel shaken by the events around me. Amen.