Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“They said, ‘If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt-offering. Then you will be healed and will be ransomed; will not his hand then turn from you?’”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, October 20, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Sometimes it’s not enough just to say you’re sorry. When you’ve truly caused someone harm, you may need to take extra steps to make it right. And sure, the Philistines’ motive was self-preservation, rather than remorse, but they recognized they had to go above and beyond just returning what they had stolen. They needed to demonstrate their understanding that what they’d done was wrong.
One of the most important ways of making restitution for something we’ve done is to commit to changing our behavior, so that we don’t repeat it. And, no, we probably won’t do it perfectly, but if we’re taking steps to truly own what we’ve done, to recognize patterns, and develop alternate ways of acting and reacting, we will change over time. And, of course, we don’t do this alone. God walks with us in our journeys of self-discovery and change, and works with us in our efforts.
Is there someone I’ve harmed that I need to make it up to? How can I do that, with God’s help?