Peace: From Jehovah-Shalom

"Better is a dish of vegetables where love is than a fattened ox served with hatred." - Proverbs 15:17

"Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy." - Proverbs 12:20

"When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." - Proverbs 16:7

Jehovah-Shalom... "The Lord our Peace!" One of the many names of God! He is indeed the source of our peace.

Have you noticed that most of these fruits we are going to study are almost completely intertwined with the others? How can you have peace without first having the love of Christ in your life? How can you be joyful without Christ as the reason for your joy? Love for Christ is the key to every other fruit that we would obtain. In order to have peace, you must first learn to love and trust God when things aren't going too well. Otherwise you would have nothing to give you peace and assurance when you lose a loved one, your job or your home. Peace is given alongside the grace of God... Paul always used these two concepts together: "Grace and Peace to you..." By the grace of God, may His peace dwell within you... so that, "whenever you face trials of many kinds..."(1) you will be able to consider it pure joy! Thankfully the grace of God is not a fruit of the Spirit... it's something that is readily available "...to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."(2) The peace that we have in Christ Jesus is a gift that we must learn to embrace... otherwise we will continue to worry as Christ has warned against in Matthew 6:25-33 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

"...Do not be worried about your life..." He says! "...for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." All we are supposed to do is seek His kingdom and His righteousness, and He is faithful to provide what we need. Peace comes with trust in God. Think about it... If you didn't trust God, how could you have peace in Him? I'm not talking about just the little things either... Trust God with everything in your life! Are we getting a little too crazy here? I don't think so! Unless we want to call Moses crazy for giving up everything that was a security to Him and allowing Himself to be used of God and thereby becoming one of the greatest leaders of the Israelite nation!

I may be slightly wandering from the purpose of this week's study... but I can't help but see the awesome glory of God displayed through the trust of His people! When we are weak... He is made strong in us! Praise be to God, that when I rest in the peace of knowing Him as my Lord and Savior, He is ever faithful to restore my soul unto righteousness! He calms my fears... He removes my doubt! I cannot claim to have "arrived" in this area in my life, but the times that I have claimed and lived out peace and trust in God... I am always stunned by His faithfulness!

I would challenge you to get crazy with your faith in Christ... trust Him... believe Him. He said He would provide, He said He would heal... believe it! True peace for each individual can only be found in a relationship with Jehovah-Shalom! Cry out to Him! Cry out to Jehovah-Shalom! Allow Him to be your strength when you are weak... He is ready to pour out His grace upon you. And in that grace... we find hope, we find peace! I am having to learn everything that I write to you, just as you are... I am not a "model Christian" in the respect of "getting this whole peace thing!" I must search, just as you must search, and plead with God to show me His mercy and grace in these areas. Asking forgiveness for the times that I do not rely on Him, but on my own might... I struggle just as much, if not more, with resting in the shadow of the Almighty during times of trial. I'm not asking you to do something that I myself have already attained... but I am asking you come along-side me in this endeavor to truly get crazy with our relationship with the Creator of the universe! To have peace in Christ... what a joy! Friends, it will not be easy, but it is most definitely worth it! Give it up to Him... whatever it is that you find your "peace" in instead of Christ. Peace is not security... security can be taken away from you. But the peace that passes all understanding... it's here to stay! God bless you all!

Grace and Peace!

(1) James 1:2 (2)Romans 8:28

Questions or Comments? Please e-mail me at afflquestions@yahoo.com . I would love to hear your thoughts on this weeks study!