The Lord Is My Peace
Judges 6: 17-18, 22-24 (NIVUK)
Gideon replied, ‘If now I have found favour in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.’
When Gideon realised that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, ‘Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!’
But the Lord said to him, ‘Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.’
So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace.
‘Pardon me, my lord’, says Gideon before questioning the angel of the Lord. (Or as we might say: 'Um, excuse me, God, but...) Not only does he ask for clarification when he is told that he has been chosen to lead the Israelite army against the Midianites, but he repeatedly asks God for signs. Gideon is filled with fear and apprehension. The Midianites have ruled over Israel for seven years with no end in sight to their oppressive rule. However, God is patient with Gideon, giving him reassurance so that Gideon would be able to confidently lead the Israelite army and God could deliver Israel.
Gideon wanted to feel peace before stepping out into the unknown, yet it was only when he fully realised to whom he had been speaking (‘Alas Sovereign Lord!’) that he had peace. The reality is that if we were to query every detail of our lives, constantly asking God for signs at every turn, there would be an absence of faith and trust, and it would not necessarily lead to us experiencing true peace.
Jehovah Shalom: The Lord Is Peace. True peace can only be found in God: it is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and it ‘transcends all understanding’ (Philippians 4:7). Through Christ, God has reconciled us to himself bringing peace between him and those who believe in him, so that we can have peace within ourselves and in our relationships with those around us.
We live in a fast-paced world where our senses are constantly stimulated by what is going on around us. This can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety and peace seems elusive. Try to take some time today to slow down, come before our loving Heavenly Father with all that is on your heart, and allow him to fill you with his peace.
Prayer — Lord, I thank you for the peace that you give to us. I come before you now with all that is on my heart and as I hand it over to you, I ask that you fill my heart and my mind with peace.