My friend is going through a stressful season. She’s working fulltime while pursuing her master’s degree. Her boss’s terrible treatment has been making her feel inadequate. Yet every morning she reminds herself that she’s not alone—God is with her, giving her peace. Not a fickle peace, but a deep, long-lasting one.
The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, had several meanings. It meant wholeness of body, mind, and soul. It could also mean safety, wealth, or absence of war. The prophet Isaiah associated peace with a person, a royal son of David, who would be the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). This Person’s rule would bring wholeness to both individuals and societies, and “his government and its peace [would] never end” (Isaiah 9:7).
The divine attributes Isaiah described are ultimately fulfilled through Jesus. He spoke of the coming reality of God’s kingdom of shalom. And He promised that this shalomcould be experienced now as an inner peace that can’t be destroyed, rooted in knowing God’s power at work (John 16:33). The way to experience this long-lasting peace is by a relationship with God through Jesus, the Prince of Peace. He fulfilled what Isaiah prophesied, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2). He would “break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders” (Isaiah 9:4).
Jesus promised: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give” (John 14:27). This promise is still true today. Regardless of the season of life we’re in, we don’t need to be afraid, because in Jesus, we can know the shalom of God.