Who Is God?Jehovah Shalom

Who Is God?Jehovah Shalom - Judges 6:24

Judges 6:24 KJV 1900

24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

Prayer

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Intro:

Today, I want to share with you something that has been on my heart and mind and it is affecting all of us! Suicide

The World Health Organization (WHO), says that about 800,000 people kill themselves every year, or one person every 40 seconds. Suicide is a major public health problem in the United States, but around the world. According to the World Health Organization, 1.4% of all deaths around the world are caused by suicide.

Now we know those numbers vary by country, region, and demographics. They can also be affected by things like mental health, social and economic conditions, and access to help and resources.

So for me when I look at this from a spiritual perspective, I know that many of us Christ Followers are struggling with having real peace in our lives!

Peace is one of the things we all want most, but it can be hard to find. We all want peace on the inside, We all want peace in our relationships, We all want peace in our homes, We all want peace in the communities and We all want peace in the world. But we live in a world full of chaos, violence, and conflict.

Today, there are way too many people losing in marriages, way too many young people losing in the educational system, way too many businesses closing!

There are way too many people feeling like they are failing in life, in their jobs or professions! There are way too many people lacking a sense of purpose in their lives! There are way to many people feeling undervalued , unfulfilled and unsatisfied!

There are way too many of us who never are recognized by family, friends, or coworkers! There are way too many of us not able to accept ourselves for who we are, or accept where we are in life. No peace!

We need God in a way that can give us real and lasting peace in the middle of all this. So, Who Is God? - Jehovah Shalom, the God of peace.

Shalom means "peace."

Shalom is a Hebrew word that means peace, Shalom means wholeness, Shalom means completion, and Shalom means well-being.

It's more than just not having any problems or stress. It also means feeling like things are going well and getting better. Shalom means that everything is in harmony and in line with what God wants.

In the Book of Judges - ok let me give you some context

The Israelites kept going backwards and kept turning away from God. When you read the book of Judges - you will find this is the fourth time a new generation of Israelites failed God!

Judges 6:1 NLT

1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.

This means two things. First, the Israelites were doing bad things in the Lord's eyes, and second, God saw them doing bad things. Sin is not hidden from God! When we sin, we are to blame for our own sins and we have to face the consequences!

Can I give myself and all who hear this a gut check!

Too many Christians or Christ Followers are more interested in the world's bright lights and pleasures, its wealth and things, its comfort and ease, its authority and power, its fame and honor then we are in Jesus!

We look at the world and we want to live like them! many of us have stopped living - separate lives, many of us have stop living holy lives, many of us have become lazy with our Christ walk and many of us have become careless with protecting the call to build the kingdom of God!

Not many of us today, want to keep God's rules and regulations as our main goal, but we want all the benefits, all the blessings from God and we want him to accept and be pleased with our lack of commitment!

When God laid that in my spirit - it was me first he was talking to - then it was my directive to share this with everyone else!

Judges 6:7 NKJV

7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites,

So the Children of Israel were going through a real tough time and God called Gideon

Judges 6:14 NLT

14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”

So Now Gideon has a bunch of excuses as to why he can’t do what God has called him to do!

Just like us today - we have excuses as to why we can’t commit to God!

Judges 6:15–17 NLT

15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” 16 The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” 17 Gideon replied, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me.

Lord, I can’t serve you, because.... Lord I can’t give to you because… Lord, I cant spend time with you, because… Lord, I can’t pray because, Lord I can’t help because....

Every because -creates a space where you don’t have peace in your life!

So finally, when Gideon had all his answers from God

Judges 6:22–24 KJV 1900

22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. 23 And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

Gideon built an altar for the God, after he defeated the Midianites

After he trusted God, it was then that he found peace! Shalom is the name of God that reminds us that His peace is so great that it is hard to understand.

Isaiah 9:6 NLT

6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus, who is called the Prince of Peace, came to bring shalom (peace) to a world that needs it very much. Jesus did this by dying on the cross and making peace between believers and non believers as well as peace between you and me and and God.

Ephesians 2:14 NLT

14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.

We cannot X- Jesus out of our lives and think we will have peace!

Philippians 4:7 NKJV

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This verse reminds us that God's peace doesn't depend on what is going on in our lives, but on how close we are to Him. We can’t have the peace that surpasses all understand without having Jehovah Shalom as the focus of our lives!

We can find peace in God as we try to live our lives in a world full of chaos and conflict.

Here are a few ways we can live out the truth of Jehovah Shalom:

Trust in God's control: When we trust in God's control, we can feel at ease because we know He is in charge of everything. Even when we don't understand what's going on around us, we can rest in the fact that God has a plan for our lives.

Try to make peace with each other. We can find peace with each other if we try to make peace. Jesus taught us to love our enemies and forgive them as we have been forgiven. When we try to make things right with other people, we can feel the peace that comes from having our relationships repaired.

Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV

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.

When we are close to God, When we make peace with God, God's peace flows into our lives.

Peace comes through prayer - today with all the chaos and confusion the only way to stop worrying is to get an injection of power.

This is what the Bible is all about. There is an answer to worry and stress, and that is the peace of God. God will help you and me get rid of worry and stress. God will get us through the hard things in life , no matter how bad or hard they are. God will give you peace—His own peace, which is so great and wonderful that it will carry us through the trial. Now, this doesn't mean that a Believer shouldn't care about life's problems. We should, but being concerned is not the same as being anxious or worried. We get up and face life's problems with courage and hard work because we care about them. When we pray - we turn it over to God, when we worry - it leads us to all sorts of problems...

Fear , withdrawal, hesitancy, depression, discouragement, distrust, and lack of faith,unplanned action, bad decisions, physical illness and disease, emotional problems, and spiritual backsliding are all consequences of worry and fear.

Be anxious for nothing - Pray about everything!

Prayer is the cure for anxiety and worry. The four words for prayer show exactly how prayer is the answer to anxiety and worry.

⇒ The word "prayer" refers to the special times when we pray together during times of worship and devotion. We are to pray at specific times, times that we set aside for devotion and worship.

The word "supplication" refers to prayers that focus on special needs. We have a strong, deep need, so we go to God and pray, which means we pour out our hearts to him. We are in need—a lot of need—and God is the only one who can help and save us. So, we come to Him like children, crying, pleading, and begging for His help, comfort, deliverance, and peace.

When we say "thanksgiving" we are thanking and praising God for everything He is and has done for us.

The word "requests" means requests that are clear and specific. We shouldn't pray about anything and everything. God wants us to tell him exactly what we need, and we shouldn't worry that we're being too specific or bothering him. We shouldn't be afraid to ask because we think He won't be able to answer something so specific. Too often, we worry that if we don't get the answer to a specific prayer, it will show how spiritually weak they are.

Take note of what the Bible says: "In everything," pray this way. Use all four ways of praying for everything. This means a couple of things. a. We are to walk in God, which means we are to live, move, and have our being in Him. Through prayer, we live and move in God. We pray "in everything," which means we pray all day long as we go about our daily lives. We pray during times set aside for devotion and worship. We supplicate, or struggle in prayer, when we are in great need. As we walk and go about our day, we give thanks and praise to God. We tell God what we want, and we tell him exactly what we want. As we go about our day, we ask God to do certain things.

We walk in God, which means we live, move, and have our being in Him. Prayer is how we do this.

We should pray about everything, even if it seems small or unimportant. God cares about every detail of our lives, even the smallest ones. He wants us to remember Him in everything we do, because He wants to care for and watch over every step.

Now picture this: we walk all day and talk to God every step of the way, and God takes care of us every step of the way. Then, what can take away the peace that God gives us? Not a single thing! Because as we pray and talk with God, He fills us with His presence and peace. No matter how hard things get, we continue to talk to God, and He continues to fill us with peace. Through prayer, He gives us the peace we need to face the trial and get through it. There is no break in our relationship with God or in His peace.

Peace is the promise. Peace means to be tied together, joined, or woven. It means to be sure, sure of yourself, and safe in God's love and care. It means to have a feeling, a knowledge, or a sense that God will...

provide, that God will guide, that God will strengthen, that God will maintain, that God will save, that God will deliver, that God will encourage, and that God will give real life, both now and in the future.

God's peace can only be felt when a person walks and moves around in prayer. Why? Because only God can save a person from the worst situations and tragedies of life, and only God can fill a person's soul with peace and security. God's wonderful promise about peace has two parts.

See God's peace is something we can't understand. It's more than we could ever ask or think. It surpasses all our imaginations. Think of the worst thing that could happen to you, and then think about how you would want to feel during that time. In real life, God's peace is much better than anything you could ever think of or understand. The peace of God actually helps a faithful believer get through trials and troubles.

God's peace keeps our hearts and minds at rest. The military word "shall keep" means to garrison, keep watch, and protect. The peace of God is like an elite soldier who watches over and protects God's most valuable possession: the heart and mind of a believer.

But keep in mind that God can only keep us "in Christ Jesus." We can only know God's peace if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and if we walk with Him. To be in Christ means to walk in Christ, or to live, move, and have our being in Him.