DCLM Daily Manna 3 October 2023 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Power Of Reconciliation
TOPIC: Power Of Reconciliation (DCLM Daily Manna 3 October 2023)
KEY VERSE: “Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:24).
TEXT: Matthew 5:21-26 (KJV)
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
MESSAGE:
There were two brothers who lived on adjoining farms, but they had a deep quarrel. They had often shared their resources, but when that practice ceased, there was nothing left but bitterness. One morning, a brother named John answered a knock at his door. It was a carpenter. The carpenter asked if there was any work to do. John asked him to help build a big fence, “so I won’t have to see my brother or his property ever again”.
So the carpenter went to work. When he reported back, John noticed there was no fence. The carpenter had used his skill and built a bridge over the creek instead of a fence. John’s brother saw the bridge and was quite moved that his brother would do such a thing. The two brothers met in the middle and embraced. The unexpected reconciliation restored their fellowship and brought peace to them.
Jesus, in our passage, speaks about the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation. He refers His primary listeners to the Law of Moses that condemned killing. Jesus expatiated and extended it to include being angry with one’s brother without a cause. He commanded that where such a situation exists, the need for reconciliation with the aggrieved party is more important than presenting our offerings to God in service. Note that we are not being asked to reconcile with the enemies of our faith. The reconciliation is between brothers and sisters in the faith. This is how we maintain a pure conscience before God and man.
When we allow unresolved issues in our marriage and family life, the Lord will not accept our offerings. We must not cover issues under the carpet and continue our service as before. We must ensure that those who are injured by our actions are attended to before we continue with our service to the Lord.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Give priority to reconciliation and peace.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
HEBREWS 5 – 9
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.