Daily Devotionals
Monday, March 4, 2024 (Mary Ann)
Mending Fences
By any demographic measure, I fall into the “Elderly” category. (And in falling, possibly breaking a hip.) To lighten up, I use these two borrowed lines a lot: “People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.” and, “I thought it would take a lot longer to get this old.”
Both true, but I digress.
Bottom line: I have lived long. And trust me, you young whippersnappers, when you get this old you do tend to reminisce on all the blessings … and all the missteps of past decades.
Included in those missteps, are people. Now I realize lots of people come and go in our lives. Even friends come and go. It’s normal this side of heaven. But I’m thinking of the friends I have hurt. Relationships that ended badly. Or sadly. Promises not kept. And more. This is what I believe the Holy Spirit has been reminding me of lately. And I’ve been wondering what to do about it.
So once again, I am playing off our RCC study on the lives of Kings Saul and David. To be overly simplistic, their relationship started out well, then hit some really awful … um, rough patches … but ultimately ended with a bit of reconciliation. It has me wondering if old Saul spent his last days playing the What-If game.
So consider with me:
Relationships are important to God.
He even wants friendship with us! Consider that Jesus bought that status for us with his life! “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
Reconciliation is important to God.
Colossians 1:19-20 reads, “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him, God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
And now it’s our turn.
In Matthew 5:23, Jesus says, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”
In other words, reconciling or mending fences – even old ones, I believe – comes before worship and prayer!
I best get busy!
Mary Ann
By any demographic measure, I fall into the “Elderly” category. (And in falling, possibly breaking a hip.) To lighten up, I use these two borrowed lines a lot: “People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.” and, “I thought it would take a lot longer to get this old.”
Both true, but I digress.
Bottom line: I have lived long. And trust me, you young whippersnappers, when you get this old you do tend to reminisce on all the blessings … and all the missteps of past decades.
Included in those missteps, are people. Now I realize lots of people come and go in our lives. Even friends come and go. It’s normal this side of heaven. But I’m thinking of the friends I have hurt. Relationships that ended badly. Or sadly. Promises not kept. And more. This is what I believe the Holy Spirit has been reminding me of lately. And I’ve been wondering what to do about it.
So once again, I am playing off our RCC study on the lives of Kings Saul and David. To be overly simplistic, their relationship started out well, then hit some really awful … um, rough patches … but ultimately ended with a bit of reconciliation. It has me wondering if old Saul spent his last days playing the What-If game.
So consider with me:
Relationships are important to God.
He even wants friendship with us! Consider that Jesus bought that status for us with his life! “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
Reconciliation is important to God.
Colossians 1:19-20 reads, “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him, God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
And now it’s our turn.
In Matthew 5:23, Jesus says, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”
In other words, reconciling or mending fences – even old ones, I believe – comes before worship and prayer!
I best get busy!
Mary Ann
