Walking With God
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Shalom (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.
-John 14:25-27
You are not alone. Even in moments when we might feel abandoned or forgotten by God, the Holy Spirit is always present. This was the promise of Jesus to his disciples on their last night together before his arrest and crucifixion. Fully knowing what was about to occur, Jesus wanted his closest friends not to be fraught with fear and anxiety, instead for them to be filled with Shalom, peace. His peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
According to the website My Jewish Learning (Shalom: Peace in Hebrew | My Jewish Learning) “the Hebrew word for peace, shalom (שׁלום) is derived from a root denoting wholeness or completeness, and its frame of reference throughout Jewish literature is bound up with the notion of shelemut, perfection. Its significance is thus not limited to the political domain — to the absence of war and enmity — or to the social — to the absence of quarrel and strife. It ranges over several spheres and can refer in different contexts to bounteous physical conditions, to a moral value, and, ultimately, to a cosmic principle and divine attribute. In the Bible, the word shalom is most commonly used to refer to a state of affairs, one of well-being, tranquility, prosperity, and security, circumstances unblemished by any sort of defect. Shalom is a blessing, a manifestation of divine grace.”
What is troubling your heart today? What is making you afraid? God is present through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus desires to give us HIS peace. It may seem contrary to the ways of the world because it is not of this world. It is true SHALOM: wholeness, healing, comfort, peace. Cast your cares upon God and know the Shalom of Jesus today.
Compassionate and Gentle God, you created us in Love to be your people. We have lost sight of this Gift and forgotten how to really love you. We have worshiped other gods, put our faith in the riches of this world, and impressed ourselves with misguided power. We have looked for help in the wrong places and ignored the extravagances you lay before us. Forgive us, Lord. Send your Spirit to come and breathe its life-sustaining and life-altering presence into us. Send your Spirit of renewal and transformation. Send your Spirit that up-ends our lives and sets us on a new path. Amen.
