And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 CSB)
Are you in the midst of a season where you’re feeling uneasy and afraid of what lies ahead?
We all go through phases in our lives where we find ourselves holding onto the familiar and fearing the unknown. I don’t know about you, but I’ve often wondered, “What is God doing in my life? Why am I going through all these tests? If so, friends, know that you’re not alone.
I recently watched one of my daughters go through a harrowing experience. She had a bad fall. I was frozen by fear as I watched my daughter fall. My thoughts led me through different rabbit holes, but it was at that precise moment that God revealed Himself to me as Yahweh Shalom, our perfect peace. I came to see God as my Shalom peace after seeing my daughter endure unbearable pain and face the unknown. He is the peace that surpasses all understanding, even amid the storm.
Around the same time, I went to see my orthopedic surgeon for a follow-up on my broken ankle. Although I knew my ankle needed time to heal, I was not prepared to hear that I would need to have another surgery. Jesus instantly came to mind as I listened to my doctor go over the benefits and drawbacks of having surgery. I thought, “Lord, I have no idea what You’re doing, but whatever it is, I know I can trust You, as the doctor described the procedure and the long recovery process. When he finished speaking, I said to the surgeon, “Let God do what He needs to do. If He allowed it, it would be for a reason.”
You see, friends, when we focus on our present circumstances, we miss the lessons God is trying to teach us through our trials. We lose sight of what He can accomplish when we get stuck in our situation. We need to take a leap of faith and trust God throughout the trials. It is in the tests that God does the impossible.
So, why is Yahweh Shalom called “The Lord is Peace.”
Shalom was the greeting used by the Jews to greet one another in the television series The Chosen” I noticed they said “shalom” for both hello and goodbye. But there was a point when Jesus said, “Shalom Shalom,” which means “perfect peace.” Shalom, then, is not just peace; it is also having complete and whole inner peace in our souls, which can only be found in Jesus. This inner peace can only be experienced when one lives in harmony with the Lord and others.
We learn about a man named Gideon in the sixth chapter of the Book of Judges, who was visited by an angel from the Lord. The angel of the Lord said to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior” (Judges 6:12 CSB). Of course, considering his current situation, Gideon, like Moses and many of us, wondered if the Lord was with him. So, what did Gideon do? He asked for a sign. Are you able to relate to this? We often question the Lord and ask Him for a sign when we are unable to see what He is doing. I’ve frequently questioned God, which has stopped me from seeing the bigger picture.
Here is how The Lord revealed Himself to Gideon as Yahweh Shalom.
And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”
Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah[a] of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.
The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face! “But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (Judges 6:18-24 CSB)
Did you notice that Gideon’s success depended on his belief that the Lord was with him? All Gideon could see was his current situation; he could not see what The Lord was about to do through him. Most of the time, we become so caught up in the here and now that we let fear to cloud our judgment, and we fail to see what the Lord is doing behind the scenes.
The Lord revealed Himself to Gideon as Yahweh Shalom. Gideon was terrified when he learned he was facing the angel of the Lord; he was afraid. But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid.” Gideon felt comfort and peace in these words.
The same holds for us today. Through Jesus, we too can experience true shalom peace—the peace that surpasses all understanding—despite the chaos of our current situation and the world in which we live. That was my experience after I saw my daughter fall and after my doctor informed me that I would have a difficult and painful recovery from my surgery.
Friends, what a powerful testimony it is for the world to witness when believers like you and me can remain calm and peaceful even while everything around us is out of control. When we act in that way, we open the door to talk about our faithful Lord Jesus, who is our Prince of Peace. That is when our faith and testimony become more powerful.
Here are some questions to help you meditate on Yahweh Shalom:
- Why do you think the angel of the Lord called Gideon a “mighty warrior”? Why do you think Gideon doubted God called him to deliver the Israelites to the Midianites?
- Think of a time when you were in turmoil and couldn’t feel peace. What caused you to feel this way, and how did you respond?
- Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace be with you.” Do these words come easily to you, or is there someone in your life to whom you find it difficult to express them?
- How is Jesus our Prince of Peace?
Scripture gives many examples of Yahweh Shalom. Here are some verses from the Bible you can meditate on. If you know of any Scriptures where you have seen Yahweh Shalom, The Lord is peace, please let me know.
- Philippians 4:7- “And the peace of God who guard all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
- Isaiah 2:4- God will deliver His peace among the nations.
- 2 Corinthians 13:11- “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of peace will be with you.”
- Ephesians 2:14- Jesus is our peace.
- Matthew 11:28-30- Jesus is our inner peace.
- Philippians 4:6-7- “Don’t worry about anything, through prayer and petition present your request to G d. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
- Romans 5:1- “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Prayer:
Yahweh Shalom, my Lord, and my peace, thank You for Your love, faithfulness, and deliverance from eternal separation from You through Jesus. Lord, You told your disciples, “peace be with you.” Help me, Lord, to remember these words regardless of any storm I may face today or tomorrow. Lord Jesus, I know I can count on You to fill my heart and soul with Your eternal peace that surpasses all understanding. Lord, help me keep my eyes on You and Your promises. Please help me to live in harmony with others. Sometimes, testing may shake my ground, but they will never overpower me because You, Lord, are my peace. I know that regardless of what tomorrow holds, You are with me. I give You all the glory, amen.
Reference
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible. Holman Bible Publishers 2017