“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
—Job 38:4-7 NKJV
If you want a glimpse of God’s might and glory, read the last chapters in the book of Job. The mystery and poetry of God’s voice asking the big questions is immensely rich and magnificent. What was it like when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God (some translations say the angels) shouted for joy? To first see … nothing. And then to behold the incredible forming of the complex and marvelous planet on which we live would have been beyond breathtaking. Even now, when I look up on a dark night sky, head craned back, the stars defy description. Our universe is so vast. And God created it all. Just. Wow.
God laid the cornerstone and fastened the foundations of the world, making it all secure. Who but God could do that? What is a cornerstone anyway? The Wikipedia definition says, “The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.” So, the cornerstone comes first. All other stones laid depend on it and move out from it. It’s foundational to a building.
Jesus is frequently referred to as the cornerstone of the church. He’s the head. The beginning and the firstborn and all of us depend on Him, rely on Him for our direction and positioning. It’s a beautiful picture that helps us see the importance and preeminence of Christ. Here’s how Paul puts it in Ephesians. “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV).
I’d like to propose that a quiet time, whether it’s ten minutes or fifty minutes, be the cornerstone of our day. If we place it first in our planning, it becomes the most important piece. Everything we do is laid in alignment with that cornerstone and radiates from it. Even if the quiet time cannot be absolutely first, if we build our day around it, it will have preeminence. For example, if you decide that your quiet time will happen as soon as your children leave for school, that becomes the marker. You don’t plan other activities for that first half hour after they get on the bus. That time is taken. It’s the cornerstone of your day. Or perhaps your quiet time happens over breakfast. You may prepare your boiled eggs first, but all with an eye to the most important activity of the day, your time with Jesus.
When we build our day around that cornerstone, our structure is solid and our foundation is strong. Since Jesus is the Cornerstone, doesn’t it make sense to build our day around the time spent meeting with Him? Let’s not squeeze a quiet time in whenever we can around the busyness of our day. Let’s make our quiet time that nonnegotiable cornerstone around which all else flows.
Father, thank You for Your Word, so rich in poetry and majesty and object lessons we can grasp, like the lesson of the cornerstone. Forgive us when we neglect to put You first. Help us to thirst for You, Lord. Show us wondrous things in Your Word and whisper to us as we quiet our hearts before You. Please be foremost in our day. Our Cornerstone who created the world and watched the stars sing! We love and honor and worship You alone. Amen.
You are loved,
Sharon
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service
Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
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