SAR SHALOM

 SAR SHALOM

NAMES OF GOD / YHWH

 

Such a privilege to be here sharing one of the many names for YHWH! It was very difficult to choose just one name because God has shown Himself true in so many situations. As I live, I continue to learn varying facets of Adonai. He is a Wonderful Counselor and The King of Heaven yet His love cares about the most minute details of my seemingly insignificant life..which is crazy talk because my life meant so much to Him that He sacrificed Himself for me.

It was a great comfort to sit and study, read, and try to digest His word this morning and into the afternoon. What I came away with made me smile (giving me great comfort) and I hope what is shared is an equal comfort to you.

Tonight, we are going to focus particularly on His name: Sar Shalom which means Prince of Peace.

Traditionally when the term Prince of Peace is used, we think of all things Christmas right! the beautiful story of redemption begins, the lights, decorations and festive atmosphere turns most of us into big kids. However, there is another scene that God has revealed Himself without all the pageantry but with equal importance. Psalm 23 is our text. I encourage you to refresh yourself with this timeless scripture.

King David (before he was king) spent a lot of time alone tending to his father’s flock. In a typically dry and arid land. Someone had prepared the ground, tilled it, worked it until it yielded lush green grass and legumes which provided substance for the sheep.

Sheep are creatures of habit. They don’t eat or rest easily. If it is not enough to drink then that becomes an issue; if there is any threat, perceived or real, then that becomes a really big issue. So, the Shepherd must apply purposeful effort so that his flock will rest, digest, and reproduce. To be a successful herdsman diligent presence is key. It is a requirement that the shepherd appear and be available to protect and care for them. Any animal that spends most of its days outside will be prone to insects such as fleas, bot-worms or something even worse. He must apply oil along with other measures to ensure the sheep are not plagued with disease from these nuisances. He is then rewarded with a sturdy healthy flock that will yield a good profit for him. He has earned the trust and admiration (for lack of a better word) of the sheep. Proof is when with just an appearance squabbles usually cease and the sound of a contented heard fills the master’s ears. Without such persistent care the sheep would be frazzled, uneasy and physically reflecting poor upkeep. How does this relay to our Amazing Jesus? Simple:

·       He is our Good Shepherd.

·       He is Faithful to Feed His flock

o   I shall not want because He provides all of my needs.

·       He leads us by His way.

o   Which allows us skittish sheep to rest (He leads me by still waters)

Even when I pass (walk) thru a dark valley His rod (guidance) and staff (protection) help me to not fear any evil because He is with me. I am assured of His presence because He has gone ahead and prepared a table before me, even in the face of my enemies (meaning I am prospering under His care). My soul takes comfort knowing that one day I will dwell in the House of the Lord Forever. I have joy, unspeakable joy, amid my trials and challenges that have come (in some instances) to usher in a lesson for a new name of Adonai.

How does this relate to peace?:

Peace breeds contentment.

Contentment leads to trust.

Trust leads to faith expansion.

Faith expansion leads to more works of obedience.

Obedience is an outward showing of love and admiration of YHWH.

Which leads to testimonies and heart felt discussion of why there is only One true and living God and He is worth serving.

 

I am at my close but if you get the chance to watch The Chosen tv series that is being streamed. One of the questions asked of Jesus was when He was going to make it all right. You know take away the sufferings of the world? His answer was that He had come to show the world the way and that in this life we will have hurts, disappointments, and brokenness but that is far from the end. With His grace we will be able to weather our storms. With His peace we will be able to smile despite of them.

Shalom

[1]NAME

DEFINITION

SCRIPTURE REFERNCE

ELOHIM

The strong, Creator GOD

Gen 1:1,2

JEHOVAH

LORD, MASTER and Relational GOD

Gen 2:4

ADONAI

Master over All

Deut 3:24

El Bethel

The God of the House of God

Gen 35:7

Elohim Chaseddi

The God of My Mercy

Ps 59:10

El Elohe Yisrael

The Mighty God of Israel

Gen 33:20

El Elyon

The Most High God

Dan 3:26

 

JEHOVAH IMMEKA

The Lord is with you

Judges 6:12

SAR SHALOM

Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6

JEHOVAH JIREH

The Lord Will Provide

Gen 22:14

JEHOVAH MACHSI

The Lord my refuge

Psalm 91:9

Jehovah Kanna Shemo

The Lord Whose Name is Jealous

Exodus 34:14

Jehovah Magen

The Lord my Shield

Deut 33:29

Jehovah Mauzzi

The Lord my Fortress

Jeremiah 16:19

PELEH YO’ETZ

Wonderful Counselor

Isaiah 9:6

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[1] https://tonyevans.org/praying-and-pronouncing-the-names-of-god-page-2/

2. Keller Phillip W., A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. P. 52-55, 100-101

 

 

 

THE NEWNESS OF GRACE Pt. 3

 Part III

Reader, you may be asking, 'why in the world would Souljourner break this up into 3 parts?? ' To which I can easily respond. I respect your time. It's alot easier to read small sections, being hungry for the end, than it is to read a book..

Thank you for your support. I hope these entries strengthen and encourage you. Please share among your friends, associates etc..

Sj

I mentioned in part 2 that the Lord, Jehovah God, sent me some help. It was kinda weird actually. I had taken off of work (until the latter part of the week) because I needed to breath; so I was free to clean my house, catch up on laundry, sleep, and visit a friend. It was in this visit that my help appeared. 

We were having a coffee date. My purpose was to be an encouragement during her time of struggle. I'm sure we all have that friend where the conversation can just flow organically. It's not forced. It's really comfortable and no topic is off the table. We share in confidence. We love Jesus and striving to live for Him...failing miserably at times but we never stop trying. So, there I was talking and telling her about our experience with Covid-19. The miserable truth about it all. I mentioned God's grace. She asked about grace because she thought it was the thing we get but don't deserve. My reply was yes that is true just like mercy. We don't deserve it. She explained that she did not quite understand how His Grace  fit in my covid experience. 

The Lord had me take her to the book of Kings and visit the story of Elijah, Ahab and the drought. Focusing on the miraculous, God enabled Elijah to out run the king's chariot to deliver (herald) the news that God had delivered the rain not Jezebel! The story is recorded in I & II Kings.

God blessed the prophet Elijah with supernatural strength to out run king Ahab's chariots to boldly proclaim YHWH as GOD Supreme! The Lord by-passed human frailty and limitations to perform a great work that we are still talking about today. He graced me with a supernatural ability to care for three (3) other people in my house one being more ill than the rest. All the while caring for myself who also was dealing with the effects of covid-19. I was scared and miserable most of the time and at some point I asked God how was I to do this? We are all so sick especially Anthony. Jesus I am frightened. I don't know what to do is what I was telling the Most High. He heard me and replied that His Grace was sufficient. At first I wasn't sure what I had heard but my spirit was assured. From then on whenever I would tremble at a cough, or fever, or whatever. I spoke aloud to the Father that His grace was sufficient. Just hearing His promise got me thru each and every time I started to fear. 

My "help" was in the testimony of God's beautiful greatness! His multifaceted grace. He is Jehovah Jireh, The Lord my Provider. He poured His spirit fresh on me and I was able to pass through a super tough time. Without Him there is no way the Howard family would have lived to tell the tale of survival and prosperity despite the dreaded virus. 

I was able to be used and be blessed at the same time. Only an Incredible God could perform such an action act of love, service and refreshing!

Sj

THE NEWNESS OF GRACE Pt. 2

 PART II

Where did I leave off? Oh, that's right. I was protesting, in a very undignified fashion, the route that needed to be traveled. 

I did not want to go. I asked the Lord to remove this challenge by healing Nate immediately (pretty please). I know He can and I knew He would if it was in His will to do so. That's where it gets sticky. Often times what we want, more of God for instance, and how we get it don't match up. I would prefer a beautiful, serene and peaceful talk with God. He prefers to allow trials. His way is always better. His will is always perfect...whether I like it or not. 

Fast forward after packing a few things I went and spoke to both boys informing them of our plan which included a visit to the emergency room. Because of Covid-19 Myles would need to stay home and wait for dad. 

A few hours later we were being ushered into our room on the 7th floor. The pediatric ward. The physician on staff relayed his thoughts as I settled in for a long stay. 

On our floor were many babies. Some as young as 2 months had already experienced the fear of surgery and the pain of recovery. Many had caregivers who were present for 90% of their day. Then there were the ones who hadn't seen a parent or guardian for days. Hoarse cries filled my nights and days. I wanted to reach out to these babies and let them know they were loved and have purpose in life. Of course I couldn't so I prayed. I prayed when the sun shone and when the clock struck 3 a.m. and every hour before and after that. Not sleeping until sometimes 7 or 8 a.m.  A small price to pay. These patients needed intercession that only the Good Shepherd Jesus could orchestrate. That's why I was there. 

Within a few days Nate was released and we were all united as a family. Together again. Did I mention that my beloved cousin had passed during this time. Too much for me to try and process. I needed to make sense of all that was happening. I couldn't. 

But The Lord of All knew that. He sent me some help. 

Tune into pt. III

Sj

THE NEWNESS OF GRACE P. I

 THE NEWNESS OF GRACE:

It is April the year 2021...I have not blogged or set up a post since November 2020. 

To say I was a bit distracted is an understatement. I have been splotchy, at best, with my writing every since the challenges of 2017-2019. I don't think I ever truly recovered until today. Let me share with you what I have learned..

On March 15th our youngest son, Nate, had surgery. The procedure was one that we knew he would eventually need to have but was never really healthy enough to have. It was a praise that the Lord had brought us this far to even consider it as it was cosmetic. 

Because of his complicated medical history we knew that anesthesia and pain meds may cause an issue. Oh boy did they! Fast forward 2 weeks after surgery we are in the emergency room. He was released 3 days later. 

We were enjoying spring break. I was out and about running errands and I happened to call the boys to make sure everything was okay at home. They are older now so it is not unusual for me to offer them the option of staying at home versus hanging out with mom. Most of the time I am less than 10 minutes away (a safe distance). When I spoke to Nate he told me he didn't feel well. I knew then we were in for a hospitalization. I rushed home cancelling anymore items left on my to-do list. I showered, prayed, cried....Lord, I will take call - a friend for the win!

I really didn't want my day, our break interrupted by a hospital stay. I fussed and whined like a 5 year old. My sister-friend from church, whom I love, got on the line with me and we prayed for healing and deliverance. I was sobbing as she prayed; we both knew this was happening. This is why you (reader) need to have a few sincere prayer buddies so that when you are going thru (and vice versa) you can be strengthened. 

I suppose you will have to read part II to find out how this ended.

sj