How does this show valuing God's work?
What does "take pleasure in her stones" reveal about valuing God's work?

Setting the Scene

“ You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor—the appointed time has come. For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.” (Psalm 102:13-14)


What the Stones and Dust Represent

• Zion’s broken wall and scattered rubble—visible evidence of past judgment

• A future city God promised to rebuild and inhabit (Psalm 132:13-14)

• Every small, seemingly insignificant piece of God’s project


What Delighting in the Stones Reveals About Valuing God’s Work

• Treasure even the earliest, roughest signs of His restoration

• View the physical as inseparably tied to His redemptive plan (Nehemiah 4:6)

• Honor heritage; the “stones” remind us of covenant history (Joshua 4:5-7)

• Celebrate progress before completion—faith praises what God has begun (Philippians 1:6)

• Count nothing that belongs to Him as worthless, not even “dust” (Isaiah 52:1-2)


Principles to Embrace

• Small beginnings are sacred (Zechariah 4:10)

• Material resources matter when dedicated to the Lord (1 Chronicles 29:14-16)

• God’s people join Him by cherishing, not merely using, His gifts (1 Peter 2:4-5)

• Love for God is proved in concrete actions—repairing, building, giving (Haggai 1:7-8)


Putting It into Practice Today

• Delight in your local church building and grounds—keep them clean, funded, and inviting

• Support ministries that rebuild broken communities; rejoice in every milestone

• Treat routine maintenance, setup, and cleanup as worshipful service

• Invest in discipleship of new believers; celebrate early growth as eagerly as mature fruit

• Value the heritage of earlier generations—documents, photos, stories, even ruins—for they testify to God’s faithfulness

• Guard creation itself; the earth is still “the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1)


Supporting Passages

Nehemiah 2:17-18; 4:6—workers inspired to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall

Ezra 3:10-13—joy and tears at the temple foundation

Ephesians 2:19-22—believers built together into God’s dwelling

Revelation 21:2-3—ultimate, perfected city where God lives with His people

How does Psalm 102:14 inspire us to cherish and protect God's creation?
Top of Page
Top of Page