Yahweh- Shalom - The Lord is Peace - Judges 6:23-24
This name was given by Gideon at a time in his life that he could have been very anxious. An angel of God had appeared to Gideon and instructed him to rise up against a group of people that were oppressing his people. Gideon was assured that God would go with him and would help him defeat these oppressors. Gideon, as some of us might, began to make excuses about his people being the weakest in the area. In other words, he wasn't very confident that he and his people were up for the task. The angel assured him that God would go with him, and that he would destroy the oppressors as if he were fighting against a single man. Gideon wanted assurance and asked for a sign before he agreed to take on the task. He basically said to the angel, "don't leave until I get back". The angel assured Gideon he would stay. Gideon ran home and cooked a goat, baked some bread and put the broth from the goat in a jug. He hurried back and was instructed by the angel to place the food on a rock and pour the broth over it. Gideon did as he was instructed. The angel touched the bread and the meat with the tip of his rod. Fire came out of the rock and consumed the meat and bread in a puff of smoke, and the angel was gone.
Gideon wanted a sign... and he got it. So how did he respond? "Oh, God... I'm doomed!" He was very afraid. God spoke to him and assured him:
Judges 6:23-24
New Living Translation (NLT)
23 "It is all right," the Lord replied. "Do not be afraid. You will not die." 24 And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means "the Lord is peace").
God had big plans for Gideon. He could have chosen any other man. If you read on in this same chapter, you will find that Gideon's father had built an altar to Baal, a pagan god of the time. Why wouldn't God choose someone with a bit tidier heritage? The son of a priest maybe? God had a plan for Gideon. In fact, in the next few verses, God instructed Gideon to tear down the altar his father had built to Baal, and to build up an altar to God in its place.
Sometimes we are unsure of our qualifications. Sometimes we may feel God tugging at our hearts to do something we feel is beyond our own abilities. If we will seek His assurance and take time to listen for His reply... If it is really God tugging at our heart, if it is really God leading us to action, He will give that peace that goes beyond your understanding or comprehension.
Philippians 4:6-7
The Message (MSG)
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
