In God’s hands, peace is more than “peace.”

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“May the mountains bring peace to the people and the hills bring righteousness.”
Psalm 72:3 God’s Word to the Nations

Psalm 72 is a prayer for the king who serves God’s people. It was either written by or for King Solomon, and applied to all the kings that would follow.

Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Colorado

The psalmist prays for the king to rule with justice and righteousness, two key virtues of God’s people. As a result of his just and righteous rule, the people will experience peace. They will experience shalom.

Yet shalom is more than peace. Shalom is prosperity, wholeness and security. How many of us wouldn’t want to experience these qualities in our lives?

When we set ourselves up as rulers of our own destiny we might fool ourselves that we’ll experience security, wholeness and prosperity, yet most often we experience despair.

As is so often the case, the psalms are best understood when we see them as Jesus’ prayer book. He is our king. It is in Jesus that we experience shalom. It is in Jesus that we experience peace, prosperity, wholeness and security.

His justice and righteousness has been commanded from his cross. Justice for our sin has been declared in Jesus. The ability to experience righteousness flows from the throne of his cross.

We live in a world where it seems that we experience chaos more often than peace. Too often we place ourselves as rulers of our own destiny.

In midst of this chaos we hear Jesus speak peace, a peace that we can taste today. A peace we will experience for eternity.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner