Many people are suffering from anxiety these days and are using emotional eating to escape stress.
In my book series My God is Awesome,” I wrote a series of devotionals describing God’s character. One of my favorites to describe God is Peace, which is evident in His name of Jehovah Shalom ( The Lord is Peace ).
Below is the devotional I wrote – a draft. As a writer, I’ve learned to keep my writing and editing separate. If I wait to write until each word is perfect, I would never get any writing done!
Isn’t that true with most things? See the draft below.
One of God’s names is Jehovah Shalom, which means ”The Lord is Peace.” Not just that the Lord gives you peace, but the Lord IS Peace .
Therefore, you have peace automatically when you abide in the Lord. Why? Because the Lord IS peace!
Today’s word to describe God is “Peace.”
The Lord is Peace Meaning (Meditation)
I was reading the story of Gideon recently in Judges 6:1-24 because I wanted to know the exact circumstances under which God’s name of ”Jehovah-Shalom” is revealed.
The Israelites’ circumstances were dire. They had done evil in God’s sight, turning to worship other gods.
So the Lord delivered them into the hands of their enemy, the Midianites.
The Midianites were like locusts, swarming in at the Israelites’ harvest season, reaping everything they had sown. They left no food behind.
Not only that, but Midianites took the Israelites’ sheep, donkeys, and oxen. Talk about looters!
In their distress, the Israelites called on the Lord for help. So the Lord sent them a deliverer in the form of Gideon.
But Gideon wasn’t a brave warrior when he was first called. Instead, the angel of the Lord found him beating wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
The angel of the Lord told Gideon that he had been chosen to deliver Israel. But Gideon protested that his family was the least in the tribe of Manasseh (already a small tribe) and he was the least in his family!
But the Lord told him: “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man (verse 16).”
Ah, now peace’s source is in that phrase: ”Surely I will be with you.”
Think about that.
When you consider the name ” The Lord is Peace ” and the Lord is with you, then that means Peace itself is walking with you through every problem!
Who is walking with you today?
Remember, peace is not dependent on the problem; peace is dependent on the Person.
When you walk with ” the Lord is Peace ” every day, you walk securely.
And peace is assured!
The Lord is Peace Scripture (Peace Bible Verses)
– Judges 6:24 (Jehovah Shalom Bible Verse)
So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
– Isaiah 57:19
“I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the LORD, “ And I will heal him.”
– Jeremiah 33:6
Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.
– Romans 14:17
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
– 1 Corinthians 14:33
For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
– John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Be Blessed with Health, Healing, and Wholeness,
Kimberly Taylor
Author/Christian Life Coach of the Take Back Your Temple Weight Loss Community
P.S. Do you struggle with overeating sugar? If so, you are not alone!
Overcoming sugar addiction was a key factor on my weight loss journey; I lost 85 pounds and dropped from a size 22 to an 8.
In our 14-day Sugar Detox Challenge online course (inside the Take Back Your Temple Community), you’ll get the same success strategies and support to gain peace in your eating habits and achieve lasting weight loss.
Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple Christian Weight Loss Community.
This is what I needed to read just at this exact moment! Thank you for being a vessel to share God’s peace!
Amen, Heather – our God has a way of delivering the right word at the right time!
Yayyyyy!! Decided to jump on Amazon and saw you released the Kindle version! Just downloaded and digging in!
/sg
Thank you, Shana – I appreciate your inspiration in continuing the series. May the Lord continue to bless you richly.
I love this, Kim! So happy you’ve been working on Vol 2! I would say “I can’t wait” … but I don’t want you to feel rushed in any way. I trust you’ll hear from God to know where and when to focus your efforts! And you can be sure I’ll be in line ready to buy my copy and soak it up!
Love you!!
/sg
Ha, ha – thank you Shana – I appreciate your support. It’s such a joy to discover new depths of who God is and why He is worthy of worship. May you come to know the Lord deeper as you continue this journey with Him!
Kim, this is certainly a word in due season where so many of us are struggling to maintain our peace. God doesn’t just send us peace He is our peace!!!
Amen – you got it, Sister!
Great encouragement, Kimberly! As with all trials, which I believe most of us have on a daily basis, some much more difficult than others, this is an excellent reminder that God is peace.
Thanks Kimberly, another excellent reminder. We sometimes forget all that the Lord has bestowed upon us like his awesome peace. Nothing can compare to His peace.
Much continued blessings to you and yours.
Thank you Carolina – same to you 🙂
I have my peace fortified!
Thank you!!!!
Praise the Lord, Kay!
Beautiful and timely devotion! I am so thankful I found your website.
I appreciate your feedback, Cyndi! I am glad that you were led here 🙂
Peace, that often illusive guest. Yes! The Lord is with us, of whom should we be afraid. Thank you for this devotional. God bless you and your ministry.
Thank you, Maureen! Peace is easily found when you remember that Peace is a Person – Jesus! He is closer than a brother 🙂
I love this devotional. What struck me was, when one thinks of “peace”, you think of Jesus speaking to the disciples or kids singing “peace like a river” – I never thought of Gideon.
Gideon’s story is often one used to show the power of God and how mighty He is. So by conclusion, there is power in peace. Power in being at peace with God, power by having God in you through the Holy Spirit and operating through His power, power in not focusing on the problem or circumstances, but rather one the One who is the source of peace.
Very powerful indeed and so applicable to the current Corona Virus crisis, but also in everyday battles -with weightloss, with children, with a busy lifestyle, with work, with family etc. All comes back to Who you keep you eyes on.
God is indeed peace!
Thanks for sharing.
Beautifully written, Elmy! Are you a writer too? God bless you 🙂
Thank you and God Bless! Needed this today. It was perfect!!
I appreciate that, Christine – God is good!
Kimberly~I just love that you shared the raw, unedited version of your draft for your new book. Thank you for sharing this with us!! Much He has been sharing with me, but when I read your draft, I had “chicken skin” a term we use here in Hawaii….Please share more and this raw version inspires me to “put things out there”, because of I wait until it’s perfect….It will never be out there, like this raw unedited comment. ;). Blessings.
Indeed, Lani! Do what the Lord has given you to do and somebody is going to be blessed! Thank you for your comment 🙂