How Do I Know the LORD is Peace?

Have we all forgotten what REAL peace looks like?

You may not notice peace until it’s gone.

Just call me “Complacent Kathy.” I was generally at peace and had no clue. Until my 1st grocery shopping trip of the pandemic. The governor had shut down the state. People were dying. People in my community! And not only was I shopping for my 80+ y.o. MIL with heart problems, but I’m an asthmatic with multiple cases of pneumonia under my belt. And I’d been hospitalized during the whole Swine flu thing.

So I chose to use the reserved shopping hour of 6:00 am. I wore 2 masks, gloves, and a face shield. I carried my own wipes to wipe down things before I touched. And I sprayed everything down before it came into my car.

I watched people I knew hug each other and talk just inches apart – without masks, and I begged off their invitations to join in.

When it was over, I sat in my car and cried. I was in full-blown panic mode. And Hubby graciously did the shopping for the next few months.

Me? I didn’t go any farther than my back porch for 6 weeks! Not even out the front door to pick up the mail! I had lost all sense of peace.

Reassurance

YAHWEH Shalom/Jehovah Shalom means The LORD is Peace. [yah-WEH sha-LOME] It was the name Gideon gave an altar after he had a face-to-face with the Angel of the LORD. He was worried about an approaching army, and his visitor told him what to do about it — even calling him a mighty warrior when he greeted him. Then, when Gideon realized he’d been talking directly to the Angel of the LORD, he started worrying that he would be struck dead. Judges 6:23-24 shows us what happened next:

“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.

Included in a blessing from God

God tells his first priests in Numbers 6:24-26, “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Since you can’t give away something you don’t possess, it only makes sense that God’s blessing of peace comes from Jehovah/YAHWEH Shalom. And since He told His priests to pray this blessing, that leads to my next point:

Peace is something we should spread

David gives us a greeting to use in 1 Samuel 25:6, “And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!” We should offer this gift to the people we encounter. Also to the other members of the household, and to all we have.

It can still your mind

I have had times when falling asleep is hard. My brain races on a dozen different topics. But then I remember Ps. 4:8, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” This was the verse on my mind recently after a tornado hit my community. Followed 2 nights later by another series of severe storms. I needed rest, even as another storm was due to come through. God alone can still the storms and the racing thoughts and allow me to rest.

It isn’t for wimps

Peace isn’t something we want because we shy away from a battle or opposition. And Ps. 29:11 is a promise of both peace AND strength: “The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.” We are also commanded to leave evil behind and chase down this aspect of God in Ps 34:4, “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.”

Obtained at a price

Most importantly, it is not free. Peace came at a great price. In fact, the Prince of Peace was born for the sole purpose of dying for our eternal peace. Is. 9:6-7, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

And Ps. 55:18a, “He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me…”

How?

We have 2 scriptures in particular that give us a roadmap to finding peace:

Is. 26:3, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” So, (a) keep your mind on God; and (b) trusting Him
Phil 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” He even gives us a list – an extensive list – of things to focus on instead in verses 8-9:
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
You can read an old post from 2015 about this same passage here.

Prayer – using 4 Aspects of Prayer

Adore – O YAHWEH Shalom, we praise You for Your mighty gift of the Prince of Peace to pay our debts. For the peace that comes from trusting in You over our own wisdom and strength.

Admit – I confess I rarely, if ever, greet people with the blessing of peace when it is in such limited supply in our world these days. Help me to do better.

Ask – I ask that You help me focus my thoughts on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.

Acknowledge – Thank You for Your peace and protection during the pandemic and the recent storms.