If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.— Corrie Ten Boom
Shalom is a covenant word, an expression of God’s faithful relationship with his people.
Contrary to his belief that an encounter with God would kill him, Gideon found that encountering God and being in His presence results in peace. This establishes a principle that the Peace of God issues from the Presence of God with His people. Without Him, we can know no peace. Is it surprising then that on the birth of Emmanuel (God with Us), the angels heralded that there shall be peace and goodwill towards humanity? God's presence with mankind is the sure token of His peace. No wonder "
the Angel of the Lord appeared to him [Gideon], and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”... And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” (Judges 6:12 & 16).
Peace is the most precious commodity on earth. Without it nothing meaningful can be achieved. It's also the one thing under attack daily as we face life's challenges and fears throng our minds. We see from news about suicides that neither money nor fame guarantee peace. Korean-pop star, Jonghyun in sensation SHINee ended his life with the note; “I am broken from inside... The depression that had been slowly eating me up finally devoured me and I couldn’t defeat it.” And he's not alone in this experience.
Many are beset with battles on every side to the point that it has been accepted as norm. But over the past few years, I have come to understand that a life of constant warfare is not God's best for us. As He revealed in the kingdom of Israel, His ultimate goal is for His people to transition from war into peace so that they can truly prosper. David, the warrior king of Israel, spent his life on warfronts taking and securing territories from their enemies. But his heart's greatest desire to build a temple for the Lord could not be an attained in this era of warfare. It would take the next generation that knew peace and rest to build the Temple of the Lord and expand the kingdom.
2 Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram: 3 “You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. 5 So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David.
1 Kings 5:2-5a, NLT
Solomon spent the first half of his 40-year reign building the Temple and the palace. With uncommon wisdom, he used the remaining period to establish strong systems that paved way for uncommon growth and prosperity in Israel. These included religious systems, governmental systems, security systems, storage systems, transportation systems, strategic alliances and trade systems as well as an organized workforce and administrative system. The evidence and fruit of shalom abounded in Israel. The people of Israel flourished in their own land and this brought honour to the Lord.
In our time too, God is calling us to arise and build our lives, our homes and our families with wisdom for His glory. To do that we must experience His peace and rest. How can we find and keep our peace in a world full of troubles and cares? Peace is a state of the heart and mind. It takes one who embodies peace to know peace. We find this in relationship with the Prince of Peace. It is in fellowship with Christ that we trade the heavy burdens for the peace and rest of God (Matthew 11:28-29).
Peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It results from the inward work of the Spirit and this is one reason the Father and the Son sent Him to us. But we must allow Him to bear this fruit in us: we must let God's peace rule in our hearts.
What are you filling your heart and mind with? What do you need to cut out of your life in order to experience peace? Too many social media reviews that plunge you into comparison and depression? Incessant bad news about impending economic hardships?