With a Sword

Matthew 10:34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. "

Now, that's something different. We've always thought of God as a God of love and compassion. We've always taken him for granted, thinking that he'd always understand. We sin and say sorry and think that everything is all right.

When I read this verse, I was shakened. I have to say I am guilty of fooling myself with the thought that God's forgiveness is always ready and available. Sadly, that's what makes us relaxed in dealing with things. We are easily swayed by the concerns of this life that we fail to stay right on track. We tend to think that it's ok to do this now, I'll just confess later.

But with this verse, another character of God is manifested. Although it still holds true that God is forgiving, he said that he comes with a sword. We can never mock God nor can we play him on the palm of our hands. He knows our hearts and our deepest motives whether or not we admit it to ourselves. We can never hide anything from him.

However we can always be confident that he loves us no matter what, we must also bear in mind that God is just. He does not condone evil nor he lets go of a sin unpunished. It is a great reminder to us Christians to take our walk with God seriously, now that we still have time.