Divine Imperatives August 29 Devotional
by David Joynt on August 29, 2023
Stress Test Devotional May 18
May 18, 2024
MATTHEW 5:24 | 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
There is urgency in this verse! We are told to make reconciliation an immediate priority. It is tempting to put fixing relationships further down the list. After all, when we’ve offended someone, it’s hard to admit it and humbling to confess it. There is always the possibility that the one we seek to reconcile with us will refuse to respond. Perhaps it will take repeated efforts, and prove costly in terms of time and effort.
Unfortunately, wounds not fixed tend to foster. Immediate action has a greater hope of success than action delayed. Jesus does not give us the option of waiting to see if somehow “time heals all things.” We are told to be proactive.
Why do you sometimes hesitate in reconciliation situations? Pessimism about outcomes? Self-protection? Fear of mess?
Gracious God,
May I move beyond delay and past hesitancy. Help me seize the moment to seek deeper and better relationships.
Amen.
