Shalom! (Peace - part 4) 
By Mike Rule

In the last three weeks we have been discussing the peace of God. We started this series by discussing how "Peace" is not a condition as much as it is a person. We continued it the next week by discussing how important it is to "Know His Voice" so we can respond to Him and allow Him to keep us in perfect peace. Last week we discussed why we often lack peace because we hold back from surrendering our all to Jesus and have grown comfortable in life by simply being "Lukewarm." This week I want to tie this all together.

Anybody who corresponds with me will notice that I sign most everything I write with the word "Shalom." While most of us know that Shalom means "peace" in Hebrew, it may not be apparent what I mean when I say it. Shalom is SO much more than peace. It means completeness, wholeness, peace, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfection, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. It denotes love, security and acceptance. It also means to be complete, perfect, and full; it is the wholeness the entire human race seeks. The word shalom is used 250 times in the Old Testament. References include Psalm 4:8, Isaiah 48:18, and Jeremiah 29:11. One of my favorite passages in found in Psalm 35:27 where God says that He "takes delight in the Shalom of His servant." Shalom sounds a lot like resting in Jesus and all He has accomplished and is accomplishing!

As I studied the Hebrew word shalom, I became curious about its equivalent in the Greek language. The word eirene means a state of rest, quietness and calmness. It is a harmonious relationship between God and man. It also sounds a lot like the result of total love, security and acceptance --i.e. resting in what God has accomplished and is accomplishing!

Shalom is precious to me. Shalom results from total dependence on Jesus and it affects every fiber of our beings. In fact, it is more than dependence upon Jesus; it is the very presence of Jesus Himself flowing into, through, and out of us. Jesus is the Shalom of God, and God delights in the Shalom of His servants! God is delighted when we choose to let Jesus rule over every aspect of our being – spirit, soul (mind, will, and emotions) and body. How we think, what we feel, what we do, and our physical well-being are all impacted by His presence within our spirit. Shalom will permeate and then flow out us when we know Him intimately. Intimacy happens when we recognize His voice and are willing to respond to Him, no matter the cost. This can only happen if we surrender our "rights" to results and let Him completely have His way with us. He will heat us up or cool us down according to His good pleasure. In order to find our lives, we must be willing to lose them. This is the true Shalom that God delights in. Shalom is a living and dynamic experience in the reality of Jesus Christ. Therefore I say to you, Shalom, my friends, Shalom!