Paul prayed for the Church at Rome, “May the God of peace be with you” (Romans 15:33, ESV).
Our God is the God of Peace.
During a time when there was no peace in Israel, God called Gideon to serve as leader and judge. God said, “Peace to you. Do not fear!” (Judges 6:23). So Gideon built an altar commemorating God’s promise and provision. He worshipped “The Lord is Peace” (Judges 6:24). In the original language, “Jehovah Shalom!”
Instructed and inspired by God’s Spirit of Truth, Isaiah predicted the coming Messiah. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, ESV).
Jesus. Prince of Peace!
On the night that Jesus was arrested, He gathered His disciples together. “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1, ESV). Don’t worry! Don’t fret and fear! Be at peace!
That’s when He introduced His Spirit, every Christian’s not-so-secret weapon in the quest for peace in a world of noise, pressure and pain.
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18, ESV). “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 that 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 hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:26-27, ESV).
He promised to leave, the Helper, His Spirit. He promised peace!
God the Father is the God of Peace. Jehovah Shalom! Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity, is the Prince of Peace. The Spirit of God, the Helper, is the Spirit of Peace.
So, if we believe that, why do we worry? Why are we anxious and fearful? Where’s the peace?
On the original Resurrection Sunday, Jesus appeared to His beleaguered, fearful, stressed-out ... anything-but-peaceful, disciples. “Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’ ” (John 20:19, ESV).
Our God desires that His children would live at peace. In fact, Jesus bought our salvation at Calvary, justifying us in the sight of God, and providing us peace! Hallelujah, what a Savior! “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, ESV). “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1, ESV).
Here’s God’s desire for you! “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13, ESV).
Jehovah Shalom, the Prince of Peace, wants you to be filled to over-flowing with hope and joy ... with His perfect peace!