Reaching for Reconciliation (With a Knife in Your Hand)...

   Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve [fn] himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. The men of David said to him, "Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, 'Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to [fn] you.'" Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. (1 Samuel 24:2-4 NKJV)

 

     After months of relentless pursuit by King Saul who intended to find and kill him, David finally had a chance to return the favor. His men encouraged him to kill King Saul, but David, described by the bible as a man after God's own heart, simply cut the corner from Saul's robe, then revealed himself to Saul and reached for reconciliation. This remarkable event required remarkable faith. David trusted God more than he feared Saul.

 

   Reconciliation with those in our lives with whom we live in brokenness requires simple faith. Christians are called by the bible to reach for reconciliation when relational brokenness invades our lives. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NKJV)

 

   But what about when you are completely innocence of causing the brokenness? What about when the person is being a real jerk about it? What if I am certain that my efforts at reconciliation will be rejected? What if they deserve what they are getting? Yada, yada, yada. There are a thousand self justifications to resist reconciliation, but a command by the Lord to pursue it -- he has committed to us the message of reconciliation....

 

   Peace and resentment can't occupy the same heart. They are biblically incompatible concepts. One comes from the dark forces and seeks to poison our hearts, they other from the Lord. Reconciliation is the anti-venom for a poisoned heart. Christ won't send us to reconciliation alone. He accompanies us. He empowers the necessary forgiveness, and seeds in us a contrite and humble spirit. Experience may have taught us that we've always held a grudge, but the Word reminds us -- the old has gone, the new has come!

 

   As we mature in Christ - that is, as there is less of us in us and more of Him in us - resentments will fade and reconciliation will become our norm. Conflict will be marked in our lives by its rarity and brevity. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.

 

   Is there someone in your life with whom you need to reconcile? Just as the Lord pursued reconciliation through Christ with you, pursue reconciliation through Christ with them. Pray first, the reach for reconciliation today. David reached for reconciliation with a knife in his hand, but decided to use that knife only to cut himself free from fear and resentment.



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