Daily Devotion, November 4, 2020

 

Devotion: Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-20a.

At the time of this writing, we are a little more than two weeks from this day which is the day after the election.

But Paul’s writing here in 2 Corinthians is as timely for these days as it was during Paul’s day. The world’s messages would like to divide us, but God has given us a different message. That message is first and foremost that God loves us and not only us, but all the people of the world. And within the message of God’s love for us is that God sent Christ who died for all of our sins to give us life. Therefore we are being made new in Christ and we are called not to live for ourselves only but as Ambassadors of Christ. And we have been reconciled to God and we are called into the “ministry of reconciliation” unto others.

We must remember whatever the outcome of the news, as believers and followers of Christ we are called to the “ministry of reconciliation.” With God’s help, this is possible.

I like the words of Dr. J. Paul Sampley, “People have value because Christ died for them. People, whoever they are, whether they have responded to Christ or not---Christ died for everyone---are treasured by God.”

Dr. Sampley continues, “Reconciliation is at the heart of life’s business. If the most important single factor about any of our lives is God’s having reconciled us to God’s very self, then the proper celebration of our reconciliation is to share it with others by fostering reconciliation and atonement wherever and whenever we can.”

In our work as a people with a “ministry of reconciliation”, it binds us together in a greater mission, so that we can help others along the way. Together we can help others who have nothing; together we can help others who have no one; together we can help others who are hungry; together we can help others who have no shelter; together we can give a witness of God’s love through Christ so that others may come to know Christ, too. Personal Worship Option: Loving and Gracious God, we hear your call to the “ministry of reconciliation”. You reconciled us unto yourself. This is a gift beyond our imagining. Help us today to seek your ways of being reconciled to one another. Help us to remember that together we can accomplish so much more to help others than we can accomplish by ourselves. Amen.