Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

21 July 2024

Reading From Isaiah 28-30

“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;

The one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.”

–Isaiah 28:16

     Isaiah was looking forward in time to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  He alone is the sure foundation, the tested and precious cornerstone of our faith.  Whilst He was ministering in person on the Earth, He had an interesting conversation with His core followers.  It is recorded in the Gospel According to Matthew. 

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”[1]

As Jesus pointed out, this revelation did not come from Peter, but directly from our Heavenly Father.  Some interpret this passage to mean that Jesus was building His Church on Peter, but for the Lord to establish His eternal family on a foundation of one fallen, imperfect man would not be the wisdom that we know of Him. 

     I believe that the firm foundation that Jesus was referring to was Peter’s faith, confession and eventual gospel message that comes not from human imagination, design or leadership, but directly from Father God to His own.  Christ and His Word form the bedrock upon which we can build our lives and “the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”  The foundation of the prophets and apostles is Jesus.

     If we place our faith and trust in Jesus, we will never be shaken or disappointed.  Though the storms of life rage against us and at times we become discouraged, we can always come back to the Lord and hear His steadying voice speaking to us words of comfort, peace and wisdom from His Word the Bible.  We share in common the same confession, the same faith, the same Good News with Peter, even still today.  “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”[2]

     This takes us back to a concept that we have discussed before and that is the righteous remnant that God has always and will always preserve upon the Earth.  There has never been a moment in the history of planet Earth that He has not kept for Himself a people faithful to His principles.  Even in the darkest days of Israel’s idolatry and the Dark Ages of the medieval era, there were people walking with the Lord in holiness and truth.  Foxe’s Book of Martyrs chronicles the stories of persecuted Christians in every century since the Lord ascended.  From this we know that there has never been a time when the gates of Hell have prevailed against the Church, the eternal family of God.  And by faith in the Foundation, you are part of that family.

“Remind us Lord, especially in the hard times, that You are here with us, standing with us and fighting for us.  We wage war not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of darkness that we cannot see with our physical eyes, but we see the horrific effects all around us.  Thank You that in You, Your children have the victory in Jesus’ strong and mighty Name!  By Your blood, by Your Spirit and by Your Word we have what it takes to be more than conquerors.  No matter what happens, I pray that we would be true to Your Word and faithful to share Your love.  In Jesus’ holy Name I pray.  Amen.”

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

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[1] Matthew 16:15-18

[2] Ephesians 4:5-6