Hello my dear friends!
For some of you, this piece will sound familiar, take comfort; you are not loosing your mind. I admit up front that much of this message was given in an article I posted several months ago. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to tweak it just a bit and ask each of us to allow the message to move past our minds and straight into our hearts.
Many of us are searching for God's peace. We know He promised it to us, but we just are'nt feeling it. We have bills to pay, we have health issues, we have family members who have not come to know the Lord--whatever the case may be, I pray this study will remind us that peace is not something we need to go searching for, and contrary to popular belief, it's not something we need to pray for. It is something we attained the moment we said yes to Adonay-our Lord Master.
It may be that you knew this at one point, but have lost sight of this truth, whether this is new information or a fresh reminder, today is the day to make this truth your own. It's not God's gift to everyone else--it is His gift to you--that's right, say it out loud:
"Peace is God's gift to me." Still not convinced? Say it again: "Peace is God's gift to me."
With this personal thought in mind, take in the following information as if you were the only person in the world it was written for. Because in a sense it is, If you were the only person in the world who received Christ, Jesus still would have allowed Himself to be nailed to that cross.
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Yahweh Shalom - "The Lord is Peace". Unfortunately, our English word peace does not adequately describe the full meaning of the Hebrew word Shalom.
On the surface, this might not have a great impact on how we view God's favor toward man. After all, it is probably safe to say that everyone knows the meaning of the word peace.
Unfortunately, putting it into practice is another story.
I recently did a study on the word Shalom. I am blessed and I wanted to pass the blessing on to all who read.
Let us look at these two words a little bit closer.
PEACE= (Man's perspective) Absence of war, to be silent, to be calm in heart and mind.
Although the English word peace can be used to describe internal serenity, more often than not, it speaks to external circumstances. In fact, in the world of gangsters it has become a catch phrase. i.e. "Peace-out man", slang for "stay cool and out of trouble".
SHALOM= (God's perspective) A greeting to pronounce a personal blessing on another in its fullest capacity. i.e. "Hello and may God's favor rest in you and give you a prosperous, satisfied, healthy, perfect and harmonious day."
Okay, I must admit, when I say hello to someone, I do not consciously include all of these well wishes. Sure, I mean it when I say have a great day. It can be assumed I mean all of the things above, but the point is I am not usually making the effort to think these things through or taking the time to be specific when I say have a great day.
I do not want this to be a mere study of words, however, but rather, I hope it opens the door for a second look at what this title is saying about the Creator God.
Yahweh Shalom is God's very name, a title that describes one of His many attributes. It points out that God is not merely one who gives peace, but that He IS peace. He is the sole source of true and lasting peace that is rooted in the internal man. This internal peace, when experienced in its fullness, is the only thing that will bring external peace.
Still, this is only part of why I am excited about Shalom. To be honest, the real reason is my need to feel loved, cared for, and accepted-unconditionally-warts and all. In short, I am human.
Even deeper still, is the fact that God feels this way about you and me! This is the best part because even though others may wish us the absolute best, they have no power to do anything about it--at least not to the greatest degree. By this, I mean we are human and we will fall short and disappoint each other at times.
BUT GOD! (My two favorite words in the entire bible,) He is not like man and cannot lie, nor will He ever go back on His promises. (Titus 1:2)
While studying Shalom, I looked up a few passages of Scripture, they took on a new meaning and I applied them to my life in a bigger way. Following is just one of the many.
"These things I [Jesus] have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things I have said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:25-27
Have you ever stopped to consider what Jesus is really saying when He says "My peace I give to you?" Remembering that the Lord's name is Shalom, what Jesus is saying here is that I give Myself to you!! This tells us that when we receive Jesus, we receive peace. Peace, by the Holy Spirit lives within each and every child of God! This is great news!
So why do we struggle--searching and looking for peace? Perhaps it is because we do not realize it is already inside.
Okay, so what do we do once we realize this truth? We have a choice. We walk in this truth--not by feeling, but by faith. We remember that when Adonay--our Lord Master says I have given Myself to you, we believe it. No matter what our external circumstances may be.
I pray you have been encouraged. Take some time to dig a little deeper. I am including a few Scripture references, look them up, and see just what God desires for us and from us.
Psalm 122:6-8, Isaiah 26:3, Galatians 5:22, Psalm 34:14 – I am making it a point to remember that the Biblical word (Hebrew in the Old Testament) is always Shalom. I will never take the word peace for granted again.
Peace is with you--take hold of Him today!
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Yahweh Shalom, my Lord and my friend, thank you for this great gift. Forgive me for loosing sight of this truth and allowing my circumstances to blur my vision. Help me today Adonay, remind me that as my Lord and Master, I will believe all that you have promised me. Help me to remember that wherever I go; whatever this life will throw my way--I have Peace living in me and You have promised to never leave me nor forsake me. And now that I am reminded, I can have confidence no matter what comes my way.
Thank you for all the friends and family you have blessed me with that are a direct reflection of your goodness. Help me to focus on the smile that brings warmth to my heart. Calm my fears this day Lord and help me to take a deep breath and surrender to the Peace within.
In the name of my precious Lord Jesus--my master and my peace, Amen
(C) Teresa Ortiz
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