Hello Everyone,

Read with me Judges 6:12-14: When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."

¹³ "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."

¹⁴ The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"

Gideon questioned the angel of the LORD and complained about his circumstances. But when Gideon realized that the angel spoke as God Himself he was terrified.

Judges 6:22-24 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!"

²³ But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."

²⁴ So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

When do we first encounter the name Jehovah-shalom?

Where does God first reveal His name as The Lord of Peace?

In the presence of a man who was desperately afraid.

In the presence of a man who was completely surrounded by his circumstances.

In the presence of a man who was worried and discouraged and had no peace in his heart.

When Gideon came to the realization that the LORD had taken a personal interest in his situation, when he realized that God was with him in the middle of all the fear and darkness, he worshipped the LORD by a new name.

Jehovah-shalom. The LORD is Peace.

In the days to come Gideon would be facing some of the greatest challenges of his life.

Becoming a warrior would not be easy facing an enemy that was many times greater than he, would bring some restless nights.

But no matter what happen from that point on, Gideon could look back on an altar.

He could look back at a moment in time when Jehovah-shalom said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear.”

May the God of Peace give you the peace that passes’ understanding.

Oh How HE Loves Us!

Pastor Phil