“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 people’s sins against them.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Ernest Hemingway tells the story of a father and his teenage son who had a relationship that had become strained to the point of breaking. Finally, the son ran away from home. His father, however, began a journey in search of his rebellious son.
Finally, in Madrid, Spain, in a last desperate effort to find his lost son, the father put an ad in the newspaper, which read:
DEAR PACO, MEET ME IN FRONT OF THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE AT NOON. ALL IS FORGIVEN. I LOVE YOU. YOUR FATHER.
The next day at noon in front of the newspaper office, 800 “Pacos” showed up, hoping to be greeted by their forgiving father.
Everyone has a desire to be reconciled when relationships have been broken. This longing finds its ultimate fulfillment in our reconciliation with God our Father, who loves us despite our sin and longs for us to turn to Him.
In Christ, your reconciliation to God is complete. Rejoice that you were once lost, but now are found!
Prayer Challenge:
Thank God that you’ve been reconciled to Him through your faith in Jesus Christ!
Questions for Thought:
Why do you think having a broken relationship can be so painful?
How might God’s work of reconciling with you help you reconcile other broken relationships in your life?