Peace is not only something that God gives,
It is something that He is.
His presence is peace.
He invites you now to experience His presence.
See yourself stepping into His presence,
Just as you would if you were stepping into a broad,
Warm ray of sunshine.
Take a deep breath in.
Feel His peace expanding your chest.
Now breathe out long and slow.
As you let go and notice your breath,
Feel your entire body lingering in the light of His peace.
In Judges 6,
Gideon is in hiding,
Processing the limited supply of wheat they have,
And the scripture says that the angel of the Lord came and sat where he was working.
As the story unfolds,
The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and even begins talking to him.
And yet Gideon still doesn't realize who he's talking to.
He was in the presence of the Lord without being aware of it,
And so he doesn't truly engage God's presence.
Gideon calls him,
Sir.
Everything changes though when he has the revelation and actually becomes aware that he's in the presence of the Lord.
He says,
Alas,
O Lord God,
For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.
God has promised never to leave us,
So that means He's always with us,
But we're not always aware of His presence.
And sometimes,
Even when we know He's there,
We avoid engaging Him face to face.
This next moment of silence is an invitation into conversation with God.
Maybe ask Him in your own words for a greater awareness of His presence.
Maybe ask Him what is it that keeps you from engaging His face at times.
Or simply asking Him to take you into deeper levels of intimacy with Him.
Gideon's experience of the presence of God leaves him in awe,
Sober reverence,
And true humility.
God responds,
Peace to you,
Do not fear,
You shall not die.
Then Gideon built an altar there and called it Jehovah Shalom,
The Lord is Peace.
God's very presence was Gideon's peace.
Engage your spiritual imagination and see yourself experiencing God as Gideon did that day.
As you gaze at Him,
Experience that sense of awe.
As you behold His perfection and holiness,
How do you see yourself?
As you hear God speak,
Peace to you,
Do not fear.
Sense His overwhelming peace completely settle you in this moment.
When God first called out to Gideon,
He said,
The Lord is with you,
O mighty man of valor.
Even though Gideon felt weak,
Afraid,
And that he had nothing to offer.
Listen now,
How does Jehovah Shalom call out to you?
Shalom means wholeness,
Alignment of spirit,
Soul,
And body.
Being complete,
Stable,
And calm on the inside despite what is happening on the outside.
Gideon experienced the peace of Jehovah Shalom in the midst of their nation being severely oppressed by the Midianites.
Their food,
Land,
And resources being devoured.
And a seeming absence of God's visible work among His people.
Gideon had said that no wonderful deeds had been happening like the generations before them.
Take this moment to notice and acknowledge your circumstances and how you feel about them.
Maybe you're feeling oppressed by external sources.
Maybe you feel a lack of resources.
Or maybe you're in a season of waiting where it seems like God has not been moving or doing anything significant.
Just take a moment now to notice and acknowledge those feelings in your heart.
And now,
Even in the midst of how you are feeling,
Begin to speak and praise the name of Jehovah Shalom.
And sense His great peace that surpasses understanding,
Warm,
And satisfy you.
