In Touch Daily Devotional 8 April 2024 || The Ministry of Reconciliation

READ IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR MONDAY 8TH APRIL 2024

You are welcome to Today’s In Touch Daily Devotional written by Dr Charles Stanley and published by In Touch Ministry. Charles F. Stanley is the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. He demonstrates a keen awareness of people’s needs and provides Christ-centered biblically-based principles for everyday life.

Today’s Topic: How to Respond Well
As believers, we have the privilege of being part of God’s unifying work on earth.

Scripture: 2 Samuel 14:1-3

1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

In Touch Daily Devotional 8 April 2024 Message:

David and his son Absalom had a broken relationship, and for years neither tried to make amends. Today’s passage says that Joab, who “perceived that the king’s heart was drawn toward Absalom,” decided to do something about it (v. 1).

According to Paul, we, too, are called to help make things right. In 2 Corinthians 5, he says, “God … reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” This doesn’t mean we need to interject ourselves into others’ disagreements, but as ambassadors for Christ, we should forgive and lovingly point people to Jesus, who is “reconciling the world to Himself.” What wonderful news for us, because there will be times when we need to be reconciled to someone else. We should be quick to apologize, humbly admitting our part and extending grace for their mistakes. Like Jesus, we should “not [count] their wrongdoings against them, and [be] committed to … the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

It’s hard to conceive of a love this huge: God sent His Son to die so we could have a right relationship with Him. Offering each of us welcome and forgiveness, He meets us where we are, embraces us like a father who has missed His child, and reconciles us to Himself. Won’t you receive that love—and share it?

Bible in One Year: 2 Samuel 13-14