Shalom: Peace

The concept of peace has been a thread that has run through the story of God's people since the beginning of time. God, as the God of Peace has been such for his people since he created Israel to bring Him glory through the very peace he gave them.
For them, peace was shalom. For the New Testament Christians, it was eirene. Both carried the meaning of completeness, wholeness; healthy, complete. Shalom also means, "at rest".
In the Old Testament, God instructed his people and blessed His people through peace between the nations around them, and with Himself.
When he blessed them, they were at peace. "And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side." 2 Chronicles 20:30
When they were punished, they were without peace ..." If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. " Isaiah 48:18
In the New Testament, we are called to live in unity through a "bond of peace" (Eph 4:3). And are reminded that we are only to find the peace we seek in Christ Jesus, our Prince of Peace(Romans 5:1).
We are promised peace, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit...Romans 8:6 "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."
Peace is something that while we all desire it, only those of us who have Christ in us can claim it. Christ is the only way to true peace. This peace is the rest, completeness and health that comes with a sense of all those things on every level of our being. We are at rest in body, mind, spirit and heart. This peace is not dependent on our circumstances, but on the soul level trust in God and his promises.
As Christian women, we have the power within us through the Spirit to rest inside of our many responsibilities and tasks. We are able to find the purpose in all of it, and find comfort in even the most difficult of situations. When we allow the Spirit to fill us, we have the ability to overcome the thoughts and emotions that prevent that sense of well-being (Phil 4:7), to find a place where we are able to experience "peace that passes all understanding."
What a beautiful blessing we have.
May you find your way to peace today. May you be able to put aside the part of you that is preventing you from fully experiencing the peace that is from God. May you allow the Spirit to fill you, by thinking on ", whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy ...and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:7