Sunday, August 3, 2025

Alex Buabeng-Korsah

TOPIC: SHALOM

THEME SCRIPTURE: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” – John 14:27 (ESV)

PREPARATORY QUESTIONS:

1. Jesus left His people with His peace. How different is this peace?

The word peace often soothes our imagination—calm waters, quiet forests, the embrace of a loved one. Yet even at its most comforting, the English word pales when placed beside the Hebrew shalom. Shalom is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of fullness: harmony, wholeness, well-being, restoration. It is, as Cornelius Plantinga described, “the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight.” It is life as God intended.

But this shalom was shattered by sin. Chaos replaced harmony. We feel it in our headlines, in our relationships, and within our restless hearts. Still, God did not abandon shalom. He sent Jesus—the Prince of Peace—not just to model shalom, but to restore it through the cross. As Paul declares, the gospel of peace (Romans 10:15). The cost of peace was the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:20).

Yet this peace is not only future—it is present. Jesus has left His shalom with us (John 14:27). This means we can be whole even in a broken world. Augustine wrote, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” But those who receive Christ’s peace—His shalom—find rest even when the world shakes.

To the one already living in this gift: reflect on it. As Etty Hillesum, writing from a Nazi death camp, observed, “Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves… and reflect it toward others.” To the one still searching: receive it. It is not achieved but given. It is not circumstantial, but eternal.

**When we carry the gospel of peace, we are reclaiming Eden's dream— God’s dream —for the world. **

“He is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier...” – Ephesians 2:14

His peace has been left with you. Live in the consciousness of His shalom every day of your life.

Remain blessed.

FURTHER READING: John 14

Call to Salvation: Today is your day if you have not received salvation by turning over your life to Jesus Christ. Click here to do so.

QUESTION TO HELP YOU MEDITATE ON THE WORD

1. What areas of your life currently lack shalom?
2. Have you truly received the peace Christ offers, or are you trying to manufacture it on your own?
3. How can you reflect this peace outwardly in your relationships today?

PRAYER

Prince of Peace, thank You for not abandoning the beauty of shalom. Thank You for giving—not just promising—Your peace. Teach me to rest in what You have already secured. Quiet the chaos within me. Let me be a vessel of peace in a fractured world, a living testimony to Your restoring love. In Jesus' precious name. Amen.

One-Year Bible Reading Plan.

Psalm 55, Hebrews 8, 1 Chronicles 22