Shalom is More Than Peace

Staying Real About Faith & Family

Let’s Journey Together and spend a Moment with Father.

I’m Linda Goldfarb, and I want to encourage and inspire your walk with the Lord. For more encouragement, please visit LindaGoldfarb.com. I’m so glad you’re here.

Have you ever felt awkward when using a word you’re not familiar with?

Similar to the uncomfortable feeling I have when learning a new language, I stumble emotionally when using biblical terms.

For example, Shalom.

We hear Shalom and think of peace.

Well, that’s what I’ve thought, and frankly, I’d not paid a lot of attention to the word until I discovered the depth of its meaning.

Granted, Shalom is spoken as a greeting of hello or goodbye, yet its meaning is so much more than peace be with you.

Reading in 1 Samuel 25:6, we hear David telling ten young men to go up to Carmel and to greet Nabal in his name, saying, “Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all you have.”

Researching the original meaning of peace mentioned here in the Interlinear version, found at Biblehub.com, you find completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace. I’ve also read the description as flourishing, wholeness, and delight. Wow!

David was offering a heartfelt greeting and blessing to Nabal and extended it to Nabal’s family and all he owned. Though I’m not going deeper into what transpired when Nabal received this greeting, I certainly understand a little better how offensive Nabal’s rejection of David’s greeting was.

That said, I now use Shalom more often with much sincerity.
When Shalom is spoken to me, I experience a richness and depth of compassion, and I want others to experience the same when I say it to them.

How about you?
Are you comfortable saying Shalom?

Let’s journey together.

Shalom, my friend—may your day flourish completely with delight and peace in every area of your life, as only the Spirit can provide. Hallelujah.

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves; do what it says. James 1:22

May YHWH bless you, keep you, and guide you in all you do. Until next time, this is Linda Goldfarb, and I’m so glad we are on this journey together with Father.
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