Hello lovelies! Welcome back to my Names of God series. Today, we are exploring another beautiful Name of God, Jehovah Shalom. To understand it, we’ll need to turn back the pages of Israel’s history and meet a man who felt that he wasn’t good enough.

Read on to learn all about Jehovah Shalom.

What does Jehovah Shalom mean?

Jehovah: The Lord
Shalom: Peace

The Hebrew word “shalom” means “whole, finished, fulfilled, and perfected.” It is translated as “peace” 170 times in our Bible.

When we think of God, we may think of His great power, His mighty acts, or His unconditional love. But how often do we think of God as our Peace?

If we consider our own lives, many of us would have to admit that our lives are often anything but peaceful. We get stressed out about the challenges of work, interpersonal conflicts, and the uncertainty of life. Fear, resentment, guilt, and envy often nip at our heels and chase away our peace.

If someone asked you at 3:30 pm on a Wednesday, “Are you at peace?” what would your answer be? For many of us, it would be a no. Of course we’re not at peace! We’re just trying to get through the last half of this crazy, too-busy week.

But is this what God intends for us? Does He need us to be stressed out and anxious?
Or is there a better way?
Let’s take a close look at this Name to find the answer.

Who called God Jehovah Shalom?

Interestingly enough, the Name Jehovah Shalom only appears once in the pages of Scripture.
It appears in Judges chapter 6.

In the book of Judges, Israel was undergoing one of its most difficult periods of history. The nation was stuck in a cycle of rebellion, idolatry, repentance, and returning to God.

At the time of Judges 6, they were being ruled over and cruelly mistreated by the Midianites. God’s people were starving, hiding in caves, and struggling to survive.

Then the Bible introduces us to a man named Gideon.

Gideon was a man of great faith, but he was also perplexed by how God was allowing His people to suffer.

One day, Gideon was going about his everyday business. Suddenly, the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” (Judges 6:12b)

Gideon burst out in frustration:

Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Judges 6:13

Then God responded by giving Gideon a mission, “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” (Judges 6:14)

Gideon felt inadequate and fearful. He wasn’t a mighty warrior or a famous judge. How could he possibly deliver his people from their terrifying enemies?

But God reassured Gideon. He promised, “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” (Judges 6:16)

Still uncertain, Gideon asked for a sign to confirm God’s words. God graciously provided a miraculous sign and consumed Gideon’s offering with fire.

When Gideon realized he was actually talking with God, he almost died of fright!

But God said, “Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.” (Judges 6:23)

Then Gideon built an altar to God and called it, “Jehovahshalom.”

At the point of his greatest need, Gideon learned that God would be His peace.

Faced with enemies, feeling fearful and weak, he found that God would strengthen him.

And Gideon went on to win a mighty victory over the Midianites by God’s power.

Have you met the Prince of Peace?

Hundreds of years later, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a coming Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus Christ came into the world to bear the weight of our sins upon His shoulders. As the sinless Son of God, He took our guilt and sin upon Himself and paid the ultimate price.

If you will turn from your sin and believe on Jesus to save you and forgive you, then you can have peace with God. You can become part of God’s family and have true peace in your heart.

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31)

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5:1)

Do you have the peace that only Jesus gives?

After believing on Jesus, you have access to His perfect peace.

Jesus promised in John 14:27, “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.”

To enjoy Jesus’ peace, you need to walk in obedience with God and pray about your worries. Ask God for what you need, and trust Him to give the best answer in His perfect time.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

I am so thankful that God gives perfect peace to His children. In my short life so far, I have experienced many circumstances where I could have been very stressed out and upset. Some of those were trials that endured for months, while others were only days or weeks long. Those stories involved tears, prayer, and a lot of questions.

But, when I prayed and chose to trust God, He gave me the most incredible peace. I still didn’t know how the story would turn out, but I knew the One who held the pen. And He gave me peace in my heart!

Let’s Chat:

Do you have the peace that only Jesus gives? If not, what is preventing you from having His peace? If you have questions, feel free to email me at whatdinnywore [at] gmail.com I’d love to share how God can give you true peace!