Shalom: The Peace of God
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
35 That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let's cross to the east side.” 36 So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. 37 Suddenly a storm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink. 38 Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?” 39 Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm. 40 Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you afraid? Don't you have any faith?” 41 Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 4:35-41
Memory Verse
Galatians 5:22-23
22 God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.
Can you think of someone who might not feel very peaceful? Maybe a babysitter taking care of a playful toddler? A grown-up with an extremely busy job? A kid who’s being picked on? A soldier in the middle of a battle?
When we think about peace, we might imagine a place without arguments or trouble. Maybe we think it’s when we feel calm and worry-free.
But that definition doesn’t work for the Biblical word Shalom, which means the peace of God. Peace isn’t just about not having problems. It’s about having something good instead! Peace happens when everything works together the way it’s supposed to. It’s like puzzle pieces fitting perfectly. Peace means living the way God wants us to and feeling joy and purpose in what we do.
How can we find peace when life feels stormy? Think about the story of Jesus and the storm in Mark 4:35-41. Jesus and his disciples were in a boat when strong winds and big waves started rocking it. The disciples were scared and didn’t know what to do, so they asked Jesus for help. But Jesus wasn’t worried at all, because he knew that God was in control.
Peace isn’t just a feeling; it’s a person! Shalom is God’s peace, and Jesus is the Prince of Peace. When we trust him, we can feel calm even in life’s storms (John 14:27).
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for being our peace when life feels busy or hard. When we feel scared or worried, help us remember that Jesus is always with us. Help us share your peace with others every day. Amen.Related Resources
Ron VandenBurg
Senior Producer of Children’s Ministry at ReFrame Ministries
Ron VandenBurg joined the ReFrame Ministries team in 2014. He plans and develops projects specifically for the spiritual formation of children. Before coming to ReFrame, Ron taught middle school for 27 years. Ron completed a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in Teaching, Learning, and Development at Brock University. Ron and Rachel have five fantastic adult children and two grandchildren and reside in Ontario.