Shalom

Author: Grace Moody

This peace isn’t simply a feeling, it’s a certainty.

A few months back, after seeing much healing from some hardships in my life, a friend prayed over this newness I was experiencing and gave me a word the Lord had put on her heart: Shalom.

It’s an old Hebrew word spoken among Jews, meaning “peace.”

The greatest thing about this small word that has so much power is whose name it comes from: It comes straight from God. In fact, it’s in his name. He is the God of peace. We can see that with Gideon in Judges 6 and many other places throughout scripture.

Ever since that prayer, the word has been on my mind. I found myself writing it all over my notebook in my classes, on post-it notes throughout my room and even on my hands. I wanted the constant reminder that the peace I seek needs to come from nothing and no one other than Jesus.

As months have gone on, I’ve seen the power of this peace overflow throughout all areas of my life. This peace flooded out over the shame, fear, insecurities and frustration in the brokenness I had been struggling to understand.

The moment we call upon Jesus’ name as savior, the Holy Spirit gives us this peace that the Bible tells us, “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

So here we have this incredible peace we will never be able to fully understand. It’s too good to understand. Too powerful. And because it’s given to us by God, it’s the highest possible kind of peace we can ever experience.

It’s not a peace we experience because our circumstances are finally where we want them or because we landed that dream job or because that broken relationship was finally restored. It’s a peace we experience because when our focus is on Jesus we see life from a new perspective.

This peace isn’t simply a feeling, it’s a certainty. If we chase after this “Shalom,” a peace made beautiful by communion with God, we will learn that in the low seasons we can still have that same peace we had during the joyful times.

We can see in scripture the peace has already been given to us. It’s given to us new every day by the Holy Spirit. Our task, as David states, is to go after it: “Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).

The seeking and pursuing are active. The growth needs to be intentional. We need to delve into scripture, memorize God’s promises, seek discipleship, make time for fellowship and pray boldly. We need to soak up Jesus.

Once that peace is acknowledged and pursued, we will experience the wholeness and joy that comes with this “Shalom.” And through the Holy Spirit, the Lord will meet us where we’re at and guide us to this peace. After all, nothing delights him more than watching his children live freely in His peace the way he intended it.