Experiencing the Shalom of God
Rejoice in the Lord always—again I will say, rejoice! —Philippians 4:4
Beholding the Lord and having your heart transformed by the reality of who He is, is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and life-changing aspects of life. If we want our lives to be transformed into the likeness of Yeshua our Messiah, if we desire to be strong in our faith and able to rejoice in the Lord always, in all circumstances, then we must give ourselves time to sit at His feet and meditate on His Word.
Right now, read through these passages, meditate on them, and ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind as you read the Word of God. My prayer is that, by the end of your time, your mind will be renewed, your heart fully encouraged, and “the shalom of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Messiah Yeshua.”
Rejoice in the Lord always—again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all people. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything—but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
And the shalom [peace, completeness] of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise—dwell on these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—put these things into practice, and the God of shalom will be with you.
—Philippians 4:7–9
What truth is being spoken in these passages?
What does this mean for me?
How should I respond?
By Paula Walberer
From Hope in the Midst Devotional
Hope in the Midst Devotional
Hope in the Midst is a collection of nine separate devotional series, each seven days long and authored by various Jewish Voice staff members during a particularly hard time in the world. Each one is focused on a different book of the Bible, and together they create a resource to find hope in the midst of any trial you face.
Hope Through Pursuing the God Who Draws Near
“Have them make a Sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.” —Exodus 25:8
From the garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem, the Lord shows us over and over how much He desires to make Himself known to us and dwell or be with us. Consider His appearing to Moses in the burning bush, the revealing of His attributes and righteousness on Mount Sinai, and the detailed construction of the Tabernacle which foreshadowed Jesus’ life on Earth among us. These are some of the examples in Exodus of God’s pursuit of His people through presenting Himself, giving revelation of Himself, and making ways for His people to encounter Him.
Moses understood the importance of living in ongoing awareness of God’s presence. He pressed into knowing God intimately and wouldn’t risk the well-being of himself or the children of Israel by making a move apart from Him. God pursued Moses, and Moses pursued God.
Moses met with the Lord daily to worship, ask for guidance and pray for the people and issues he had been given stewardship over. He knew he couldn’t go it alone, and he was faithful to seek God and His presence in prayer.
As Believers in Jesus, we now have God’s presence indwelling us personally. He could not be any nearer! What a miracle! What an amazing relationship to appreciate and cultivate.
Where in the Word: Exodus 33:13–18, 34:5–8
Finding Hope
PONDER: God’s instructions for building the Tabernacle are specific and detailed. How attentive might He be to the building of His relationship with you? And how do things look from your end? What are some of the ways you are purposefully pursuing Him?
PRAY: Ask the Lord to fill you with awe and wonder at His pursuit of you and His indwelling Spirit within you.
RESPOND: Do a simple study on the Tabernacle, especially the way the structure and furnishings speak about Jesus and our relationship with God. How might this awareness move from your head to your heart?
Some more to talk to God about: John 14:1–3, Ephesians 3:17, Revelation 21:3
By Theo Steinhauer
From Hope in the Midst Devotional
Hope in the Midst Devotional
Hope in the Midst is a collection of nine separate devotional series, each seven days long and authored by various Jewish Voice staff members during a particularly hard time in the world. Each one is focused on a different book of the Bible, and together they create a resource to find hope in the midst of any trial you face.
