The Names of God: Jehovah-Shalom

Jehovah-Shalom: The LORD Our Peace

Judges 6:24 KJV
Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Romans 5:1 KJV

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Philippians 4:9 KJV

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

The Lord truly works in mysterious ways. Sometimes, even when I have the best intentions to get a blog post up, it just does not happen. When I finish one, I immediately begin thinking and praying about the next one. So when it takes a few days, even a week, or when a week turns to two, I start to stress and worry about getting it written. I do not ever want to grieve the Spirit, but I don't want to rush it either. So this post has taken some time to write and I couldn't figure out why until tonight. 

Last Sunday morning in our Sunday School class we studied Joshua. We have been doing a survey of the Old Testament and covering a book each week. As we sat there last week, listening to the man of God teach the lesson, I started writing the blog. I was inspired and I needed to get the words down before I forgot them. I carry a small notepad in my Bible to keep notes on Brandon's messages. I grabbed it and started to quickly scribble this:

God commanded the Hebrew children through Joshua to be strong and of good courage three times in the first nine verses of Joshua chapter one and a fourth time by the chapter's end. He tells them that He will not fail them or forsake them, that He is with them everywhere they go. We can find peace in Jehovah-Shalom in these verses today, even as Gentiles. We have been adopted into the family of God by accepting Salvation. Just as He told the Hebrews not to be dismayed, or afraid, He is with us! He is with us whithersoever we goest! 

I could end the post there because we can have the same assurance that Joshua gave the Hebrew children of His presence and peace in our lives if we place our faith in Him. But that still wouldn't explain why it took me another week to put the post together. 

Tonight was Brandon's Ordination service as Pastor at Laurel Hill Baptist Church, an event that you couldn't have paid me to believe was going to happen just 4 short years ago. One of the questions that was asked of Brandon during the Ordination Council, before the service began, was what kind of leader did Brandon want to be to the people of Laurel Hill. His reply was a leader like Joshua, strong and of good courage. Brandon's mentors and our former Pastors preached the charge to him and the charge to the church. The scripture that was used to preach the charge to the church was Joshua chapter one.  The Pastor preaching the charge to the church had no idea that we had been studying Joshua, Brandon had no idea that I had been writing the blog on Joshua, and Brandon had no idea what questions they would ask him on the council. Now you tell me God didn't have a hand in that. 

We are facing and have accepted one of the greatest privileges, challenges, and burdens, that could have been placed upon us, to lead a church and a flock of God's people. It is a serious undertaking, certainly not one to be taken lightly. Brandon is now the undershepherd to this congregation of good and godly men and women. It is up to him to follow the Lord so that the congregation can in turn follow Brandon. He is to lead by example, to be blameless, above reproach, sober minded. He is called to love these people, to rebuke, reprove, and exhort them. He is God's man in the pulpit. He is our leader. God has placed a love in our hearts for the people of Laurel Hill, it began to grow the first time we passed through their church doors. But having a love for the people does not mean this burden will be easy to carry. In fact it will make it that much harder. But we can serve the Lord as leaders to His flock of people by having faith in Him that He is true to His Word and is with us whithersoever we goest. We can be strong and have a good courage because we stand in His presence, we have His peace, the peace of Jehovah-Shalom.  

He has called us to arise and go forth to serve Him by leading His people.  And though there will be wolves and lions that seek to devour our flock, He will never forsake us, never fail us. We will stand in strength, boldly and courageously, with God by our side, and His peace in our hearts. Jehovah-Shalom: The LORD of Our Peace will never leave us, never fail us.

Multiplied

Your love is like radiant diamonds
Bursting inside us we cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name

God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied

Your love is like radiant diamonds
Bursting inside us we cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name

God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied

(Multiplied)
(Oh multiplied)

God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied

These Halleluiahs be multiplied

(Your love is like radiant diamonds)
(Bursting inside us we cannot contain)
(Your love will surely come find us)

Like blazing wild fires singing Your name