Many times in the bible we see God giving his identity as the perfect remedy for the problem of the Israelites, which is deeply embedded in his name. He tells them that He Himself is enough to save them from their troubles without additions.

It was during the time, when the Israelites were under the oppression of the Midians, that God revealed Himself to a man named Gideon who was so scared he was threshing wheat in a winepress. Threshing is a process of separating the grain, it’s usually done in an elevated place and in the presence of wind, never in a winepress! “The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.” Judges 6:11 NIV

God called Him “Mighty warrior” which perplexed Gideon because he thought he could be anything but that. It was a time where he was questioning his identity, the help of God that somehow seemed to vanish and he came to a conclusion that God had left his people.

“When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”” Judges 6:12-13 NIV

Gideon comes from one of the smallest clans in Israel and was undeniably full of fear because of their oppressors, but then the Lord tells him that He will be with him and that he will defeat the Midians. God tells Gideon, the one so scared and unseen that he is a man of valor. After Gideon offered his sacrifice to the angel of the LORD he realized he actually saw Him with his own eyes and he was engulfed with fear, the Lord then says to him ”peace be with you” and reassures him that he will not die. Gideon calls that place Jehovah Shalom which speaks very boldly that the Lord doesn’t only give peace; He is peace itself, in him, we find the perfect wholeness, a sound mind, and sweet sleep.

There are times when we doubt the help of God, his presence in our life due to the chaos that we go through. We sometimes forget that he always looks over us even in our mistakes and mess ups, but He always does and finds ways of rescue to bring us out from. He sees what we don`t see clearly, fogged by our emotions and the desires of our hearts, but He also sees “a mighty warrior” who gives us our true identities found in him.

In a time of great distress, when the disciples were all in a room after the death of Jesus, they were scared for their lives, all in one place when He revealed himself and said “peace be with you”. “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”” Luke 24:36 NIV

It’s so amazing how the Lord uses the phrase “peace be with you” to those scared, and not only scared- scared for their lives. What he offers is completely opposite from what the world offers, as Jesus said, the peace that he gives us is not like the peace of the world, it’s not achievement nor success, wealth nor beauty, it’s not the kind of peace that wants more and more. It’s a whole peace complete by itself.

It’s not once that we find ourselves amidst such circumstances, scared of what would happen in our lives, listening to the lies of the enemy that puts us in a position of great distress. Fear comes in all shapes and sizes, though the fear of Gideon manifested and could be seen by others, we find ourselves scared in subtle little ways that get overlooked or look “normal” (even though there is no such thing). We accept the whispers of the enemy, all the lies and deceptions separating us from the peace we were granted. We were never given the spirit of fear. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It’s difficult to trust God while we are trying to get control over everything, stressing out about what would wait us in our tomorrows; but the Lord wants us to trust him even with the little things in our lives. It is not his intention for us to live a stressful life, he wants us to Know that he is in control behind the scenes.

The spirit that resides in us is here to lead us to truth, and in him we find true peace and comfort. He sees beyond what our eyes could ever see and wants what’s best for us by heart. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

In a world where it’s so easy to be disturbed and alarmed, where things go unexpectedly south in fractions of seconds, where disappointment is closer than the so-called “happiness” the world gives, The prince of peace says he has the perfect remedy, his peace. He wants us to rely on him in all our ways.

It’s so easy to lose sight with all the distractions happening all around us, to feel exhausted, to think there will not be another day, fearing to lose everything, but in all the valleys that we go through the lord promises this;“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NIV

He wants us to be kept in peace in all the turmoil and turbulence of life, knowing that he is with us in all the ways that we go through. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27 KJV

In numbers, the lord tells Moses to tell Aaron and his children to bless the Israelites in this way, it says ““ ‘ “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” “” Numbers 6:24-26 NIV.

It gives us a beautiful insight on how being with the lord gives peace, that his very presence is simultaneously attached with the presence of peace. Christ was born in Bethlehem to do this- give us the ultimate peace, return order to the chaos created by sin. Through him we have the perfect peace because God himself is with us.

1. The Holy Bible
2. Percept Austin- Jehovah Shalom: LORD is peace