2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (NIV)
And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Be reconciled with God! … Pass it on.
Good morning, Lord. Forgive me for treating the message of the cross as though it’s a secret. I should be shouting it from the rooftops: “Be reconciled to God!” It’s the best invitation in the world, thank You.
Reconciliation starts with God, but it doesn’t end there.
Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV)
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Reconcile with others as God has reconciled with you.
Good morning, Lord. Teach me to offer reconciliation to others as freely as You have offered it to me. Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who have trespassed against me (Matthew 6:12).
Colossians 1:21-22 (MEV)
And you, who were formerly alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight.
From alienated to holy … now that’s a change for the better.
Good morning, Lord. You transform me — through Your Word, through prayer, by the persistent nudge of the Holy Spirit. I am not the person I used to be, nor the person I will become in future days. Thank You for Your patience, Your presence and Your power at work in me.
Romans 5:10 (NIV)
For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Reconciliation is God’s doing, not mine.
Good morning, Lord. I am reconciled with You, not by my good deeds, but through Christ’s death on the cross. Any good deeds I do are my way of saying “thank You.” Fill me, O God, with gratitude; grant me countless opportunities to show my appreciation.
“[God’s] glorious wisdom has devised a plan whereby, without violating His justice as the Judge of all the earth, and without tarnishing His perfect holiness, He can meet man upon the ground of mercy, and man can again become the friend of God.”
Charles Spurgeon, 1877
The Ministry of Reconciliation
We are “friends of God.“ How amazing is that?
Good morning, Lord. I can sing, “What a friend we have in Jesus” and know it is true. I am counted as a friend of God, not because I am worthy, but because You are merciful. Your love is beyond amazing, and I am grateful.
I’ll never fully understand Scripture on my own.
Ephesians 1:17 (NIV)
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
God provides the revelation and the Spirit of wisdom to help me understand.
Good morning, Lord. Thank You for Your Word and the wisdom it reveals. As I read it, Holy Spirit, enlighten my mind — embed the words into my thoughts, my decisions and my actions. Teach me to study it, not just as information and interesting stories, but also as a lifestyle. Transform me.
1 Corinthians 2:7 (NLT)
… the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.
God didn’t keep His plans hidden. It’s there, recorded for our hearing and reading. Let’s give it the attention it deserves.
Good morning, Lord. Open my mind and heart to the mysteries recorded in Your Word — the mystery of Your love for us, the mystery of prayer, the mystery of Your coming kingdom. I don’t understand it all, but I understand enough to bow in aue before Your glorious presence.
Hebrews 1:1-2 (NIV)
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
Old Testament prophets looked forward to the New Testament and the coming Messiah. We have the benefit of both. Let’s not waste it.
Good morning, Lord. Thank You for the whole Bible, even the parts I don’t quite understand. As I read, show me the lessons You have for me here and now. Reveal Jesus and His love, as written so long ago yet still relevant to my place and time. Teach me something new every day.
The Bible is God’s big, beautiful love story. Read it for yourself.
John 20:31 (NIV)
These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Good morning, Lord. Thank You for loving the world so much that You sacrificed Your life for our salvation. Thank You for loving me so much that You sacrificed Your life for my salvation. I owe all that I am and ever will be to You.
“The more you read the Bible;
and the more you meditate on it,
the more you will be astonished with it.”
Charles Spurgeon, 1832-1892
The more you read the Bible, the more God will reveal. Prepare to be astonished.
Good morning, Lord. Forgive me for neglecting Your Word, for coasting along on old insights. Grant me the discipline to study the Bible on my own and with others. Reveal Yourself to me, day by day, page by page, verse by verse — in Jesus’ name, amen.
