The Prince of Peace

*bursts into the room, panting* Sorry I'm late, everyone! I've been busy with Christmas stuff, work, and writing . . . so I think I can be excused for posting a day late? Maybe? Whatever the case, before we go on, I just wanna say this'll be a shorter post because of . . . well, the three reasons I just mentioned. I hope that's okay! I've seen your comments on other posts and will respond to them sometime after Christmas.

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So as we all know, the big day is almost upon us. And around this time of year, we can all get super busy and stressed about everything. God must've known this ahead of time, as Isaiah 9:6 says that one of Jesus's names is Prince of Peace. That sounds nice, doesn't it? Peace is a good thing! But do we really know the definition of peace?

"Well, Josiah," you might say, "according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, peace is a state of tranquility or quiet. Not much else to it."

And you'd probably be right, except for one fact: Jesus didn't speak English (surprise, surprise!). He spoke Hebrew, and the Hebrew word for peace is shalom. You may have heard of it before. It's a small word that packs a lot of punch.

The simplest definition of shalom means "wholeness." This kind of wholeness is perfect; it lacks nothing and is completely filled. So shalom covers a lot of territory. It refers to health, prosperity, harmony, rest, and so much more! Jews use shalom as both a greeting and farewell to others, but it bears so much more than our simple hellos and goodbyes.

I don't know about you guys, but thinking of Jesus as the Prince of Shalom is mind-blowing to me. I think that the Message Bible did well to call Him the Prince of Wholeness, because that description is closer to the original meaning. Now that I know the Hebrew version of peace, John 14: 27 (NLT) takes on such a different meaning for me: "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid."

Are you experiencing God's shalom peace this year, or have you been wrapped up (pun intended) with the frantic pace? I encourage you to take some time to be alone for a while and reflect on shalom. Jesus is offering the best peace you could ever get. All we have to do is claim it.

And while Prince of Peace tends to be a term thrown around only at Christmas, this shalom is meant to be with you year-round. We are to constantly be in a state of joy, contentment, health, and prosperity. We need to recognize that no matter what, we have the right to be filled with shalom. It's just one of the many things Jesus gives us through His death.

Okay, so this post is super short, but I think that's fine. It'll give you more time to do some of that reflecting. As for me, Digital Pulse isn't writing itself, unfortunately. I think I also need to take my words to heart and spend time focusing on Jesus's shalom peace.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas! May your homes and families be filled with shalom from here on out. I'll see you all later!