It was a brisk, fall day on the grounds of Camp Gunnison—The Way Family Ranch. The sun was at its peak, and there was not a cloud in the sky. I stood at the end of the North Pasture, resting against the fence. I breathed in deeply, taking in the beauty of God’s design: the vast, mountainous landscape; the trickling creek; the freshly fallen leaves. I closed my eyes and listened for any sound. Silence. It felt as though time had stopped. I paused from the full day of work and stood in the presence of God, resting in His peace. Today, we can experience the same peace from God as we trust in Him Who is the Source of our peace.
The Lord is the Source of our peace because He is peace. Let’s consider the context surrounding the only occurrence in the Bible of the title Jehovah-shalom—the Lord our peace.
Judges 6:23,24:
And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
At this time Israel had forsaken the Lord and in doing so had allowed themselves to be overrun by the Midianites. The Midianites, Amalekites, and others were making life unbearable for Israel. They moved into Israel’s lands and destroyed whatever sustenance was there. Israel was kept in a very oppressed and impoverished state. When they cried unto the Lord for help, the Lord was there as their peace.
An Israelite by the name of Gideon was visited by an angel of the Lord, who told Gideon that he would lead the people of Israel to victory over the Midianites. God spoke to Gideon, saying, “Peace [shalom] be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.”
The very first thing the Lord said to Gideon was “Peace be unto thee.” These words spoken to Gideon can bring great comfort to our hearts today as we trust God and allow His peace to have precedence in our lives. From the study of different occurrences of shalom, often translated “peace” in the Old Testament, this word can be understood as the absence of strife, and much more! Shalom and the root it comes from include aspects of health, well-being, peace with God, completeness, wholeness, and fulfillment. God is ready, able, and willing to bring deliverance and peace to us when we look to and trust in Him, because He is peace.
God is the Source of our peace; His thoughts toward us are thoughts of peace.
Jeremiah 29:11:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace [shalom], and not of evil….
We can take great comfort in knowing that God thinks thoughts of peace toward us, and not of evil! This verse can provide great clarity when facing life’s challenges. Like the Israelites who faced hardship in Judges, chapter 6, when we face a challenge, we can go to God as the Source of our peace. We can trust that He will help us get to a peaceful solution. He does not think evil toward us in any situation.
Psalm 29:11:
The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace [shalom].
God’s desire is to strengthen us and bless us with His peace.
Psalm 119:165:
Great peace [shalom] have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Loving God’s Word is a great key to receiving peace and remaining steadfast on the truth of God’s Word. As we stay our minds on God, He keeps us in much peace, great peace. We can stay our minds on God as we trust in Him and His Word; this brings peace and strength to our lives.
No matter life’s circumstances, we can experience peace from God as we trust Him as the Source of our peace. Just as the Lord spoke comforting words to Gideon in a time of distress and despair, He speaks words of comfort to us today in the pages of His written Word. No matter the environment—whether we are standing on the edge of a pasture at Camp Gunnison or walking through our day-to-day lives—we can confess that God is the Source of our peace and He will give us peace. We stand assured, knowing that His thoughts toward us are thoughts of peace, never evil! As we stay our minds on God and His Word, we will have shalom, peace. We will have health, well-being, peace with God, completeness, wholeness, and fulfillment.