Manifest Evidence

Coming into the world, not one of us knows what to expect. Even daily, we never truly know what's in store for us except that we will find out as each second presents itself to us.

Imagine a world in which there were no stones. None in the sea, none in the desert, none at the mountainside.

Now, imagine a world in which there were no one to notice. What might that be like?

The Living Word of the Lamb says, "Though every stone be removed from its place, the Word of the Lord our God will remain forever."

It's not about the stones themselves, for they are lifeless in the natural, without being. It's about what happens to them or what we, beings, having life, do with them.

What was the purpose of a stone memorial?

What sealed the most sacred tomb from the rest of the world while the Son of God paid for our debts in the pits of Sheol?

What took the lives of many, sometimes with just one cast?

What determined guilt and carried out judgment on a person?

What can our hearts take the form of if we are not careful, watchful, and prayerful?

The Bible has a lot to say about stones.

What a stone does is prove. It proves, testifies, and reveals.

A stone is evidence of what has happened.

Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 1, mentions that the "manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God" is the "patience and faith" of believers "in all [their] persecutions and tribulations that [they] endure."

Manifest evidence is the undeniable, unquestionable, undoubtable proof of something.

What stone are you setting up daily?

What are you doing that proves the goodness and truth of God and His all-powerful Word?

As you read 2 Thessalonians 1 this week, think about the purpose of a truly loving relationship between yourself and the Lord. What will your stones show to those who see them?