Human beings love miracles!
They stand in awe of the Creator when he does the “ impossible”.
When miracles happen and seemingly impossible situations manifests , it transforms peoples and nations, causing them to believe in the higher power of God. It reminds them of their humanity and the existence of God. When such wonders happen, men and women echo the words found in Psalm 118:23 which says:
“This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes !”.
To fully appreciate this verse, let us look at the context in which it was used. In Psalm 118:22-24:
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.” NIV
The Message Bible says:
“The stone the masons discarded as flawed
is now the capstone!
This is God’s work.
We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!
This is the very day God acted—
let’s celebrate and be festive!”
There are two interpretations as to who the rejected stone is.
Firstly, in the past , the nation of Israel was not considered to be of any importance in the Middle East. However today, it is the pivotal nation with a lot of relevance in that region and even in the world.
Secondly, Jesus was the chief cornerstone that was rejected by the builders. He was not accepted by his own people, yet he remains the most important person that ever lived. In John 1:11-12:
“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Prophet Isaiah predicted the coming of the Messiah and the rejection he would suffer. In Isaiah 53:3-5:
“He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.” NIV
Interestingly, Jesus himself quoted the “Rejected stone” verses of Psalm 118:22-23 in the following passages:
Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11 and Luke 20:17.
Apostle Peter quoted the same passage in Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:4-10, where he did not only explain the rejection of Jesus Christ but also gave the Message of Salvation and the Hope of his Glory to all believers in Christ.
It says:
“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
8 and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.“
The Bible is filled with several examples of miracles that encourage and inspire the Believer in Christ. When these events happen, we can just imagine those that witnessed such miracles openly exclaim:
“It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes! ”.
Let’s imagine Sarah at 90 years and Abraham at 100 years, carrying Isaac in their hands. Their hearts must have been filled to overflowing, as they proudly respond to those congratulating them:
“It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes !”.
What shall we say about other proud parents in the Bible, those that have been mocked and despised, who later became parents at God’s own appointed time? We can readily think of parents like:
Jacob and Rachael at the birth of Joseph.
Elkannah and Hannah at the birth of Samuel.
Zechariah and Elizabeth and at the birth of John the Baptist.
Manoah and his wife at the birth of Samson.
The only words we can think of to describe their feelings are “ joy unspeakable and full of glory” ( 1 Peter 1:8)
Another example where a whole nation was filled with joy and gratitude can be found after the crossing of the Red Sea. Imagine the relief and joy felt when the Israelites crossed to the other side and their former task masters drowned in the Red Sea!
When Elijah called down fire at the contest on Mount Camel , the true worshipers of God would have exclaimed:
“It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes”.
When Hezekiah was healed of his affliction and had 15 more years added to his life, he would surely have exclaimed :
“It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!”.
What of Daniel who was miraculously delivered from the lion’s den? What of the 3 Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were thrown into a fiery furnace and were miraculously not burned to death?
They would all have exclaimed:
“It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes !”.
There are so many Miracles that Jesus performed in the New Testament. These include :
Raising Lazarus from the dead.
Healing of Blind Bartimaeus.
Turning of water into wine.
We can only imagine the feelings of those that experienced these miracles and those that came to rejoice with them as they rejoiced and with one accord proclaimed:
“It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!”.
Finally, one event that should provoke awe and rejoicing is the personal salvation and surrender to Jesus Christ of anyone who gives his life to Christ. It is a public affirmation of turning away from the kingdom of darkness to the marvelous light of God. Even the Bible confirms in Luke 15: 10:
“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” NIV
Invitation to Salvation.
Jesus is calling you today. He is saying to you:
“Come to me all who are tired from carrying your heavy loads and I will give you rest”. Mathew 11:28
If you want to accept this invitation, pray to God. You can say something like this:
“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I confess my sins before you today. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I want to know you personally. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in and be my Lord and personal Savior. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person that you want me to be. In Jesus name I have prayed. Amen.”
If you have sincerely put your trust in Jesus to be your Savior, welcome to the household of God!
