READING: Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21:5-38
“Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.”
Matthew 24:2
I have seen some beautiful buildings around the world, and many of them have been sites of worship. Most of the time, the god worshipped in those structures was not a god at all—but the buildings were still beautiful. Some have been elaborate Muslim mosques. Others have been Buddhist temples. Some have been church structures where the true God was once worshipped, but they were abandoned long ago. Other buildings I’ve seen are more evidence of the ingenuity of the human mind – skyscrapers that seemingly sway in the wind, contemporary structures so artfully designed that you just look in wonder, and others I cannot even fully describe.
All of these, though, will eventually be no more. They may not suffer the fate of the temple in Jesus’ day – another elaborate structure made of massive stones – but they will not last forever. Of Herod’s temple Jesus said, “These things that you see—the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down”(Luke 21:6). Indeed, the temple would be destroyed within one generation of Jesus’ words when the Romans took the city of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
I am reminded today that the most beautiful things man can create cannot stand against the plan and judgment of God. It all may look mighty and amazing today, but God can collapse it in a second if He wishes to bring judgment. Nothing we create can stand against the One who is both Creator and Judge.
ACTION STEPS:
- Consider that much of what we work for will not last. Temporary stuff never does.
- Decide to make choices today with eternity in mind. Don’t settle for what the temporary world offers you.
PRAYER: “God, teach me that the world’s most amazing things cannot compare to You.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Matthew 26:1-5, 14-35; Mark 14:1-2, 10-31; Luke 22:1-38; John 13