The Lodestar

Reconciliation is central to God's plan. Perhaps that is why the Old Testament concludes with these words, the culmination of God's counsel through the prophet Malachi.

Sin has disrupted our world, especially relationships. Hostility among the created order arose when the first man and woman fell out of favour with God through disobedience. The earth turned against humanity, refusing to yield its full produce; it grew thorns and briers to choke the fruit-bearing plants. Animals turned against each other, and humans against animals.

Nevertheless, the Lord also promised that as people turn back from their sins and live according to God's will, peace and harmony will be restored. Through the prophet Isaiah, God foretold a day when enemies would reconcile their differences and dwell in peace under the reign of the Messiah (Isa 11:6—9).

Beyond God's broader plan for creation, He spoke through Malachi about a day of reconciliation within families. The Lord declares a time of restoring broken family bonds.

This promise is especially significant for our times, where statistics indicate that one in four people experiences some form of estrangement from family members.

The Holy Spirit facilitates reconciliation between people—parents and children, neighbours, church members, and even employers and employees. Paul urged two estranged church members in Philippi to live in peace (Philippians 4: 2—3). He also sent Onesimus, the runaway slave, back to his master, Philemon, with instructions to consider him a brother (Philemon 1:8—16).

The Lord's overarching plan involves reconciling all things at the end; however, Prophet Malachi reminds us that before this happens, all estranged human relationships must be restored.

Take a moment today to assess whether our lives reflect the peace that the Lord has commanded. Seek God's wisdom on how to mend broken relationships. The peace of God will rule in our hearts as we take steps to restore fractured relationships.

Sometimes, it only takes a phone call or a WhatsApp message to reconnect with someone we haven’t spoken to in a long time and to restore peace in our lives.

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