The peace of the Lord 1

* Luís Alberto Alves

It is at this hour that Jehovah Shalom opens his arms bringing the comfort that only God is able to do in a great affliction. This does not mean that we do not have fights. They will come, but the Christian will face everything with his head held high, without falling into the paranoia that God has left him.

At this moment the ungodly will perceive the difference in the life of the true, converted Christian, and of the Christian who never had an encounter with God, is merely a "water heater" of a bench in the church. In God's Word, in Proverbs 24, verse 10, it is written, "If in the day of his trouble you appear weak, it is your little strength."

When all is well, few seek the Lord. It is characteristic of the human being. You only go to a doctor when you are sick, the same applies to the dentist. This is how people pray little, read the Bible a little, evangelize little, hardly talk about Jesus to anyone, especially in the neighborhood and work, or even in school.

It was Jehovah Shalom who supported Moses when the people, who came out of Egypt, began to press him for food and water. That charged him every moment. Jehovah Shalom also placed the certainty of victory in the heart of Elijah in defiance of the prophets of Baal and Azerah. He had faith that God would not leave him alone in that fight. It was Jeovah Shalom who directed Joshua to take the 13 rounds around the walls of Jericho. He was calm enough to lead the people in that march, under dust and heat.

Trusting Jeovah Shalom does not mean that we will be oblivious to the problems. We will face them in the certainty that we will emerge victorious, We will wait in the Lord's time and He will have his glorified name when we win the long dreamed victory. The mood will not give way to melancholy and sadness. That is the difference between this peace that only God is able to give us and that offered by satan through his garbage, with the appearance of beauty.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor