Daily Devotional
God’s Gift of Peace to You
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’”
Matthew 10:34-36
May 25, 2024
Ponder This
The Bible calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. When He was born, the angels said, “And on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). And yet in this passage, Jesus said, “Don't think I came to send peace. I didn't come to send peace: I came to send a sword” (Matthew 10:34, author’s paraphrase).
What’s He talking about? He is saying, “I did not come to bring some sort of false peace between good and evil. I came with a sword to put a line between truth and error, light and dark, sin and righteousness.” When God’s standard of righteousness is set, there will always be division. The sword of Jesus is like a scalpel. It must first hurt before it heals. Peace can never come where sin remains. God will never make a peace treaty with sin.
Do you know what God wants for you? Peace. God’s thoughts toward you are not of malevolence. God is not some vengeful deity sitting on the throne, making a lot of rules and laws to make you squirm, and looking to throw down thunderbolts of wrath. God’s thoughts toward you are plans of peace. That is why He must make war with the sin in our hearts.
- Do you feel at peace with God? Why or why not?
- What area of sin do you need to surrender to God?
Practice This
Confess your sin to God and thank Him for His gift of peace.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
