True Shalom
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Shalom!
It is the universal greeting in Israel, and most believe it means “peace.” That is partially right; however, the word “Shalom” means much more than peace.
Shalom can also be defined as completeness, wholeness, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, and the absence of agitation or discord. That’s a lot packed into one little word.
In Psalm 122:6, King David encouraged us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” and said, “may those who love you be secure.”
So it’s important to pray Shalom over God’s chosen ones, and when you see artwork and olive wood boxes in Israel saying, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” they are reminders that when we intercede for Jerusalem, we are praying for it’s wholeness, good health, and harmony, but we are also praying for far more, because as Gentiles, graciously grafted into the body of Christ, we know there’s only one way to receive true peace.
In modern Hebrew, the related word Shelem means to pay for, and Shulam means to be fully paid. Interesting, because when the Prince of Peace, Jesus, was born, he was born to die for our sins, and to fully pay our debt owed, so we can cross over to eternity with God.
Jesus is the only way to true “Shalom.”
In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
When at birth, the Christ child was placed in a rock hard feeding trough because there was no room for him anywhere else, our Savior brought with him Shalom peace; perfect, whole, and complete. That’s why, despite the rustic birth circumstances, the newborn could “sleep in heavenly peace.”
The Shalom of Jesus allows us to be calm in the face of trial, disease, change, and persecution, because as the Apostle Paul put it, he is our peace (Ephesians 2:14).
Do you want to claim that peace for yourself today?
Do you need:
completeness,
wholeness,
health,
welfare,
safety,
soundness,
tranquility,
prosperity,
perfectness,
fullness,
rest,
harmony,
and the absence of agitation or discord?
Through the Holy Spirit, one of the health benefits we receive when we sign up with Jesus, is the fruit of peace (Galatians 5:22). As Paul so eloquently puts it in Philippians 4, trusting in Jesus gives us a peace that “transcends all understanding.”
What is troubling you today?
Seek Jesus’ Shalom.
While the celebration of Christmas should be a joyous time, the holidays can sometimes bring discord between loved ones, and memories of days gone by, never to recover again.
This is a perfect time to pray for Jesus’ Shalom. We should pray that the complete, whole, tranquil, and perfect peace of Christ will rule in our hearts, rather than fear, angst, or bitterness.
Today, as we celebrate the birth of Shalom, I will close with Paul’s prayer over the Thessalonians, also meant for you:
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.”
May the Shalom of Christ be with you this Christmas and in the New Year. (LBW)