SHALOM – THE WHOLESOME PEACE

My dear brothers and sisters, I wish you and your loved ones *”A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!”* One of my favourite Scripture reading during this wonderful time is from, Isaiah 9:6 and Luke 2:1-20.
– “6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6
– “10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord…13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” – Luke 2:10-11;13-14

Both, Isaiah and Luke mention peace in their writings. We gather this, from both these writers, that Christ is the cornerstone for our peace. Isaiah calls the Saviour “Prince of Peace” while Luke records the song of the angelic host, which says “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” If we observe, peace is what is missing in the world. The lack of it in human relationships, is the root of all the conflicts, big and small.

The peace that is missing, and which the Christ Child was born to restore, is not the same peace, which the world talks about. The very concept of biblical peace, is different from what man thinks. From man’s point of view, “absence of conflict is counted as peace.” While the biblical concept is much wider and deeper…it is wholistic in nature.
– “The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. The concept of shalom is broader than our usual definition of peace as the absence of conflict. Shalom represents life as God intended it. It is the completeness and wholeness of life.” – Nathan Cook

Peace, as the Bible envisions is a way of life. It primarily begins with the restoration of the broken relationship with God our Creator. Then the same permeates into every other aspect of human life – big and small.
– “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.” – John 14:27

This SHALOM, the wholesome peace, is a gift of God, and not something we can earn or achieve on our own. That is why we have no peace in the world. All our efforts for it will fail, for the problem that needs to be solved, is different from the solution we are seeking.
– “8 The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace. 9 Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness!” – Isaiah 59:8-9

Peace comes when we invite the Prince of Peace into our hearts, and let Him has His way in every aspect of our lives.
– “3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.” – Isaiah 26:3-4
– “9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:9
– “12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” – Colossians 3:12-15
– “Shalom is a gift from God. It is the by-product of God’s righteousness. It is the blessing that comes when we are in a right relationship with God and our fellow man, but it can only be received when we accept Jesus as our Prince of Peace, the messiah who restores shalom.” – Nathan Cook

This peace that God gives, keeps us through every storm and struggle. It is the peace, that helps us stay the course, and reach our destination.
– “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

Now a question for us. What place does this Christ Child, who is born to save us from our sins, has in our hearts? Does He have a preeminent place? Do we trust Him, and obey Him? Do we walk in His righteous ways? The answer to these questions, hold the key to our peace. This is true Christmas, when Christ our Redeemer is the LORD of our lives. May the LORD help us.