February 21
“And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles
of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:14).
Here we have a vision of the wall of the Holy City, which have twelve foundations, on which
the names of the twelve Apostles are written. These precious stones speak of the strong
Apostolic foundation on which we are built (Eph. 2:19-22). Now the Apostles were only
ordinary men, they were men of like passions as we are, yet they were made strong by God.
We know what kind of a man Simon Peter was, yet, in spite of his failure; he became God’s
precious stone.
How did Simon Peter become a precious stone? That name ‘Peter’ means just an ordinary
rough stone, but the same rough stone became in the end a very precious, shinning
foundation stone. “The first foundation was Jasper (Rev. 21:19). Peter, the rough stone is
now linked to a shining, bright, beautiful, precious Jasper stone. How did he become like that?
Precious stones have to go through extreme heat under the ground to become so brilliant.
God asks us to believe in His perfect will and to allow the trials He may send to work His will
in us. That is how He can make of us shining stones. If we allow the light and truth of God to
work in us, we shall become like precious stones drawn close to the heart of God, to enjoy
His full love and affection.