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Good morning. It’s Wednesday, February 18th, aka Ash Wednesday.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

📖 Verse Of The Day

— Matthew 10:34

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🧠 Devotional

In Matthew 10:34 (NIV), Jesus says:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Well that’s weird.

Because Isaiah 9:6 (NIV) says:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

So which is it?

Did Jesus come to bring peace, or not?

Here is why this is not a contradiction.

In Isaiah, “peace” means peace between us and God. Because of sin, we are separated from God. Jesus came to fix that.

Romans 5:1 (NIV) says:

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That is peace with God. That is why He is called the Prince of Peace.

But in Matthew 10, Jesus is talking about something different. He is talking about peace between people on earth.

Right after verse 34, He says in Matthew 10:35–36 (KJV):

“For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.”

Jesus is warning that following Him will divide families. Some people will trust Him. Others will reject Him.

When people choose different sides about Jesus, it creates conflict.

So He brings peace with God.

But He does not promise that everyone will agree about Him.

So know this, Jesus brings peace with God, but not everyone wants that peace.