1 Peter 1:22-23 – The Touchstone

“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:15-16 ESV

A touchstone is a tablet of dark stone, finely grained, that is used for determining the quality of soft metals.

Primarily used in ancient Greece, touchstones provided a means for comparing the purity of precious metals such as gold or silver, this process is referred to as assaying.

The assayer would draw a pure sample of the precious metal across the touchstone, leaving a streak, he would then draw the metal being tested across the stone, leaving another streak. The residue left on the touchstone would be compared, thus allowing the assayer to determine the quality and purity of the new ore, whether high grade or low.

God has authored and inspired it through the pens of faithful men to reveal Himself to us.

He has shown us His holiness, His perfection, His grace, His justice, all of these facets of Himself and His character.

We must, like a piece of gold being tested, draw ourselves across the stone of the Bible. Instead of comparing ourselves with each other, we should look to God’s word as the measure of our lives.

Don’t give your joy away to comparison against the lives of imperfect human beings, but instead compare yourself with Christ for a true measure of spiritual fruit.

Open your Bible today and let the word of God encourage, challenge, and restore you.

Today’s devotion by Jordan Loftis, author of two bestselling books Today We Win and The Men With Bare Feet, and editor of Short Daily Devotions.