Shalom.

     I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace
                                                                        -John 16:33 (RSV)


     The complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern defines the Hebrew word Shalom as follows:
      Peace, tranquillity, safety, well-being, welfare, health, contentment, success, comfort, wholeness and 
      integrity. "Shalom!" is a common greeting.

     The Jewish people in Jesus' day would greet one another with "Shalom." In doing this they wished others to be blessed, much as we would say "God bless you" or " I wish you well".  We all desire to be at peace, to be blessed with good health, to be successful, to be content, and to walk in integrity.
      In the natural, we believe that we need to be successful, we need to be healthy, safe, things have to be going well, before we are at peace. We feel incomplete, so we pursue what we believe will make us whole, all the while contentment stays just out of reach.
     True peace is realized in Christ alone. True contentment is found in our satisfaction with Christ, finding Him as our all in all. Nothing else matters but knowing Him. All of our desires pale in comparison to the desire we have for Him. This was Paul's secret. Wealth, or poverty, hardships, or easy going, made no difference to Him. The end he lived for was Christ.
     Tranquillity, even joy, is the result of an unwavering faith in Christ that perserveres even in the middle of the severest trials. Knowing that God is in control, that all things work out for our good, can keep us in peace even though lifes storms blow all around us. Paul and Silas could sing at midnight deep in a dungeon, The Apostles could rejoice after a beating, because they lived for no other purpose than to glorify God, and trusted Him with a faith that could not be shaken!
     Shalom!