Reconciled

The late Adrian Rodgers, a TV/radio evangelist, told the following story of reconciliation. When he was a young boy, growing up in Florida, he loved to climb palm trees and then sell the coconuts to tourists.  His father sternly warned him not to climb the trees because it was far too dangerous. He did anyway, just for the fun of it.  Sure enough, one day he lost his footing, fell to the ground and broke his arm.  As he lay there in agony, he saw his father approaching.  He was not only filled with physical pain, but the searing shame of having violated his father‘s rule.  His Dad could have chastised him, he knew he deserved it, but what he needed more was healing for his broken state.  Without mentioning the obvious infraction, his dad lovingly scooped him up from the dusty ground and took him to the Doctor.  The term “reconcile” literally means to bring together, like the setting of bones.  It is how God, as our loving father, longs to mend us from our broken state.  Certainly he disagrees with our sins, but when we are faced with the shame of them head on, and repent, His healing begins. “For if, when 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! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:10-11.  Don’t sit around in pain and brokenness, turn to him and be reconciled.