SHALOM

Hebrew word meaning peace, safety, wholeness, completeness, prosperity and victory!

Peace. It’s something that we all strive for and desire, but it is also the very thing that the enemy is constantly trying to rob us of. For most, peace is only felt with the absence of problems and chaos. That rare feeling when everything around you seems to be going right. That is the world’s idea of peace. There is no true freedom in the peace this world has to offer because it’s subject to circumstances.

The peace the Bible talks about is quite different. The peace Jesus came and offered has no limits. Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My perfect peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you.” It’s clear from Jesus’s words that He had something higher to offer us through salvation, which brings me to my first real point. Peace is synonymous with salvation. This is a truth a lot of people are missing. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. Shalom means much more than what comes to mind when you think of peace. Shalom translated means wholeness, wellness, safe, completeness, happy, favor, peace offering, secure, to prosper, to be victorious, to be content, quiet, and restful. This should have you excited already! Through the cross, Jesus offered Himself as our peace offering to put us back in right standing with the Father, and as a result provided us with salvation. The Greek word for salvation is Soteria (so-tay-ree'-ah). It means to be restored to a state of safety, soundness, health, and well-being as well as preservation from danger of destruction. So, our salvation provided through Jesus is a result of Jesus restoring us back to peace with the Father. You could say they are the same thing! No wonder Jesus said the peace He leaves us is not the peace the world offers. The peace He left us is a sense of wholeness, safety, and protection regardless of what is happening around us. It allows us to live above circumstances and problems instead of being enslaved by them.

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Isaiah 9:6... "And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"

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Hebrews 4:3 says, for we who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confidently rely on God] enter that rest [so we have His inner peace now because we are confident in our salvation and assured of His power]. To truly experience this peace I’m describing starts with understanding everything provided through salvation. Once you understand the full security available through salvation, you can truly start walking in this victorious peace. Colossians 3:15 says, let the peace of Christ be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. Notice it says the peace of Christ. As believers we have access to this state of victory and security through Christ. It starts with our salvation, and then becomes a way of life as we learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. It is this peace that guides us when making life decisions, providing the answers that are not clearly laid out before us. Isaiah 55:12 says the Lord leads with peace. We can get a great illustration of this in Psalm 23. Jesus is our Shepherd to lead us, and the paths He has for us are made up of His goodness and faithfulness. It says He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. His peace and all that comes with it is what allows us to feast in the midst of our enemies or in other words while dealing with life issues. That’s why it’s not subject to circumstances. When you understand the Lord is your true source of peace, protection, security, and victory, you can enjoy and feast on His faithfulness even when things appear to be upside down. Paul describes this peace in Philippians 4:7 as the peace that surpasses understanding which will guard our hearts and minds through Jesus. Renewing your mind to the Word of God is a must if you want to walk in this type of peace of mind. You will have to intentionally choose to believe and exalt what the Word says over what the world is saying, which brings me to my final point...

The ways and truths of God don’t operate by the world’s system, and neither should we as believers. In John 15:19, Jesus tells his disciples that they are not of the world and no longer belong to it. This is because Jesus came to redeem us and hand over His authority. We now have this authority to walk in the peace of God instead of living as slaves to the anxiety and fear that the enemy wants us to. I like to look at it like God is operating on a different frequency called peace. If we are going to walk like Jesus and experience His benefits, we must “tune in” to peace. This means being willing to tune out of anything that’s not producing peace. We can’t expect to live in His fulness and wholeness while feeding on the things and ways of the world. Jesus said in John 18:36, His kingdom is not of this world. Walking in the wholeness, wellness, safety, completeness, security, prosperity, and victory of shalom requires a tuning in and tuning out to this world’s system. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in what that should look like for you. It may look a little different from season to season, but one thing that remains regardless of the circumstances is that His perfect peace and salvation is available every single day. Psalm 34:14 says to seek and pursue peace. Pursue Jesus and experience the shalom benefits that He has provided!