Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a
stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make
haste.”
This section of the book of Isaiah gave Israel a prophetic glimpse at the Messiah, the promised
redeemer. In the twenty-eight chapter, Isaiah was speaking to the leaders of Israel. These
leaders had just made a pact with Egypt in response to the threat of an invasion by Assyria. The
Lord, through His servant Isaiah, identified this ill-fated pact as a covenant with death. He
exposed this decision for what it was, an attempt to circumvent God. The people of Israel,
through its leadership, had chosen not to place their trust in God but rather in alliances. In the
sixteenth verse, Isaiah points to the solid temple as an illustration of where their true strength
lies. For you see, the strength of the Israelite nation did not lie in their shrewd diplomatic ability,
rather its strength was evident when it relied on its God.
In our current culture, the church and each of its members face similar attacks. We daily face
the onslaught of that which opposes God. We, like Israel, must make a decision as to who are
our allies and where our alliances lie. Will we trust in God completely or will we will ally with
something else. Will we accept the directions of the Lord or will want to follow our own
direction? It is my prayer that we heed the words of Isaiah, that each of us who call ourselves
believers will find strength in that which cannot disappoint, the cornerstone, Jesus Christ. For
this Cornerstone is a precious gift of great value, a sure foundation in whose salvation we can
believe.
As the Pastor to Students at Millen Baptist, I am resolute in my belief that Jesus Christ must be
the foundation stone of our student ministries. He must be the bedrock on which we build our
ministry and that which informs our every decision. He must be that to which we guide our
students and the one on whom they learn to depend. As my family and I embark on our journey of faith at Millen Baptist, I am placing my trust in THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE!