Jehovah-Shalom

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 Abiezrites. – Judges 6.23-24

I love the Jehovah names of God in the Old Testament. It has been many years since my pastor, Greg McLaughlin taught a series on these names on Wednesday nights. 

I was intrigued and it led to a lot more study on my own. These are usually the names of places or altars established to remember Jehovah, or sometimes they are used to refer to God Himself. 

I am sure that Gideon was a bit intimidated and maybe even a little worried about the task God was calling him to. 

I may not be facing the Midianites, but I certainly understand the lack of peace that comes with facing the unknown. One of my spiritual weaknesses is looking down the road at a long term problem, not seeing a solution that suits me, then losing the ‘peace of God that passes all understanding’ because I ignore the instruction to ‘be care-ful’ for nothing. 

Both Gideon and me can take great comfort from the name of the altar Gideon builds here, Jehovah-Shalom, or ‘The LORD is my peace.’

‘God is my peace’ is something that is a constant theme, but some of us struggle with it. If we could just really grasp this thing we could know the truth of things like ‘great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them.’ We could claim the peace that Jesus promised when He said ‘my peace I leave with you.’

There is no need to live in turmoil and despair. There is no benefit to worry and fretting. We have the God who is ‘God Is My Peace.’ 

Can I rest at the altar of Jehovah-Shalom? 

Only if I really believe that God is my peace, and indeed my only peace.